Magpie Hill

The walk up Magpie Hill takes you through proper woodland before the land rises sharply - nothing Alpine, but a genuine climb that'll leave you breathing hard if you've come straight from the car park. It's the sort of spot Londoners head to when they want a bit of elevation without driving three hours to the Lakes. The summit itself offers decent views across the Hertfordshire countryside, particularly pleasant on clear days when you can see the landscape roll away towards distant tree lines.

This is walker territory, pure and simple. Not the Instagram crowd - the path gets muddy, the ascent is proper work, and there's no café at the top handing out flat whites. But if you're the type who likes moving legs and lungs over a morning, it's well worth the effort. Families with energetic kids will get something from it; the younger or less confident hikers might find it frustratingly steep for what feels like modest height gain.

Allow a good hour or so for the full experience depending on fitness and pace. The real appeal comes from treating it as part of a broader walk through the Lee Valley area rather than a standalone destination. It sits handily close to Lee Valley Campsite at Sewardstone (under two miles away) and Fowley Mead Park, making it an ideal mid-holiday stretch-out if you're based at either spot. Theobalds Park, a shade further out at 4.7 miles, offers complementary woodland walking if you're after a rest day.