Moel Clegyr

The walk up Moel Clegyr isn't long, but it's steep enough to make your legs remember it the next morning. Starting from near Ruthin, you're looking at perhaps forty minutes to the summit if you're fit, a bit longer if you take it easy. The real reward sits at the top - a proper 360-degree view across Denbighshire that stretches all the way to the Clwydian Range on a clear day.

It's a walker's hill rather than a tourist attraction with facilities. No cafe at the summit, no visitor centre, just you, the heather, and the landscape. That's precisely why people come. The ground underfoot can be boggy in patches, especially after rain, so proper boots matter here. An hour up and back if you keep moving, but linger longer if the weather holds.

Families with older kids will manage it fine; younger ones might find the steep bits tedious. It's the sort of place that rewards effort without requiring technical skill. Bring a map - there are several paths crisscrossing the hill and it's easy to drift off-route if visibility drops.

If you're based at Clwydian Glamping Pods just five miles away, this makes a straightforward morning excursion before heading elsewhere. It's not dramatic like Snowdonia's bigger peaks, but it's honest hill-walking on your doorstep - the kind of walk you do because the view justifies the climb, not because there's a gift shop waiting.