Kirk Gate Hill

The walk up Kirk Gate Hill from Skipton is steep and relentless - no sugar-coating it. But the effort pays off proper. You're standing on a fell that commands views across Wharfedale, with the market town of Skipton dwindling below and moorland rolling away in every direction. On a clear day you can trace the contours of the Dales for miles. It's not a technical climb, but it's not a casual stroll either. Allow a solid hour and a half for the ascent if you're not used to fell walking. The peak itself is modest - no dramatic summit structure, just moorland and wind - but that's rather the point. This is working countryside, not a tourist attraction tarted up for postcards. Families with older kids and reasonable fitness will manage it without complaint. Younger ones might find it tedious. What makes it worth doing is the effort-to-reward ratio. You don't need specialist kit, the routes are well-trodden enough to follow, and the views remind you why people move to Yorkshire and never leave. If you're staying at Peaks and Pods, just six miles away, it's an ideal afternoon objective. Park near the town and head out early - the moorland tops get brutal when wind picks up later in the day. Go when the sky's clear. There's nothing worse than walking blind into cloud for an hour only to stand on a hilltop seeing nothing but mist.