Juniper Hill

The walk up Juniper Hill rewards you with proper Cotswold views - rolling valleys, distant ridges, the works. It's not a slog either, more of a pleasant plod from Stroud that takes the best part of an hour depending on your pace and how many times you stop to catch your breath.

What you're climbing is one of those peaks that doesn't shout about itself. No visitor centre, no car park at the top, no one flogging you a cream tea. Just genuine hillside with juniper scrub and grassland, the sort of place where you actually notice the wind and the sky rather than queueing for a photo. The summit itself is modest in height but the vantage point makes it work - you can see why people bothered walking up here centuries ago.

For walkers, this is proper territory. Families with older kids will manage it fine; younger ones might find the climb tedious. History types will appreciate the old routes and ancient woodland nearby. The peak suits a half-day outing rather than an all-day mission.

Stay at one of the glamping spots nearby - Painswick Glamping sits just 1.1 miles away, making it a logical base. Cherry Tree is 2 miles out if you want something similar. From there you can string together a few Cotswold walks without driving far. It's the sort of hill that fits nicely into a broader rambling holiday rather than standing alone as a destination.