Kennon Hill

The walk up Kennon Hill takes about forty minutes from the car park, and it's steep enough to earn your view. You're climbing through proper Devon countryside - bracken and gorse on the slopes, the landscape opening up as you gain height. The summit itself isn't dramatic. There's no trig point, no café, no crowds. What you get instead is a quiet vantage point over Exeter and the rolling terrain beyond, and that's rather the point.

This isn't a destination for peak-baggers ticking off lists. Walkers after a straightforward, energetic morning will appreciate it most - the kind of people who enjoy the climb itself as much as the view. The path is well-trodden but unspectacular, and unless visibility is excellent, you won't be stopping long at the top.

If you're based at Woodland Springs Touring Park near Exeter, Kennon Hill makes a solid morning escape. It's close enough not to eat your whole day, but far enough out to feel like proper countryside rather than suburban fringe. Allow two hours total if you're not rushing. Summer's your best bet for weather and light, though avoid weekends if you prefer solitude.

Worth doing? If you're in the area and fancy a walk with a purpose, yes. Don't divert miles out of your way for it. The real value is in the rhythm of the climb and the quiet at the top - the sort of place that grows on you more than it impresses you.