Noar Hill

The walk up Noar Hill takes about twenty minutes from the car park, and it's steep enough to make you work for it, but the views across Hampshire justify every huffing breath. You're looking out over the Weald from 770 feet, which doesn't sound like much until you're actually standing there on a clear day and can see for miles.

It's a proper spot for walkers, especially those based at Feather Down Manor Farm or Adhurst Yurts just down the road - both within easy reach of Alton. The hill itself is chalk grassland, which means wildflowers in spring and early summer if you time it right. The path is well-maintained but can get muddy after rain, so decent boots are a must.

History buffs might appreciate that this is classic Hampshire downland - the sort of landscape that's been grazed and managed for centuries. It's not dramatic like the South Downs further east, but it's genuine and unspoilt, which is exactly why people come back to it.

Allow yourself an hour to get up, have a look around, and come back down without rushing. It's not a day's outing on its own - more of a cracking morning walk - but it slots perfectly into a park holiday in the area. The views aren't Instagram-famous, but they're real, and on a quiet weekday you'll probably have the hilltop to yourself. That's worth something.