Lansdown Hill

The walk up Lansdown Hill from Bath is steeper than you'd expect for Somerset, but the payoff is genuine. You're climbing to a proper hilltop - 315 metres up - where the views open out across the Cotswolds and beyond. On a clear day you can see for miles. The summit itself isn't fancy. There's a monument commemorating a Civil War battle, some open grassland, and that's about it. But that's rather the point.

For walkers, this works brilliantly as a half-day outing from Bath. The town sits right at the base, so you can start from the city centre and be up there in under an hour depending on your pace. Families with older kids will manage it fine - the path is well-trodden and obvious. Younger children might find the climb tedious, though the payoff view does snap them to attention.

You don't need long at the top. Twenty minutes to catch your breath, take photos, and soak it in is plenty. Then you're back down in time for lunch. The whole thing takes two to three hours door-to-door from Bath, which fits neatly alongside a proper city break. If you're staying at Bath Mill Lodge Retreat nearby, it's an easy morning sortie before heading back for the afternoon.

Worth doing? Absolutely, especially if you're already in Bath. It's free, it's accessible, and the views justify the legs.