Long Man

The walk up Long Man rewards you with one of Weardale's finest panoramas - assuming the weather cooperates. This isn't a technical climb by any means, more of a steady moorland ramble that takes the better part of an hour from the valley floor, but the effort pays off when you reach the summit and the landscape opens up across County Durham.

What you're looking at from the top is proper fell country: rolling moorland stretching towards the Pennines, with Weardale itself dropping away beneath you. On a clear day it's genuinely impressive. Conditions here change quickly though - I'd caught fog rolling in by mid-afternoon on what started as a bright morning, so timing matters.

This works well for anyone staying at the holiday parks clustered around Weardale, particularly Heather View or Kingfisher, both within five miles. It's the sort of walk families with reasonably fit children will manage without complaint, though younger ones might struggle with the gradient in places. You'll want proper boots and waterproofs - the terrain gets boggy after rain.

Walkers after something more substantial than a park stroll should make this part of their itinerary. History buffs won't find much up here beyond the moorland itself, but if you're after fresh air and views without the crowds of better-known peaks, Long Man delivers. Allow two to three hours for the round trip including time at the summit. Free to access, naturally - it's open moorland. Go early if possible; by midday the car parks fill up.