Normandy hill

The walk up Normandy Hill takes about twenty minutes from the car park near Lutterworth, and it's genuinely worth the effort. You're climbing through a nature reserve that feels proper wild for the East Midlands - grassland, scrub, and woodland all mixed together, with the kind of views across Leicestershire and Northamptonshire that make you understand why people fought over this patch of land centuries ago.

At the top sits an Iron Age fort, though there's not much to see in terms of structures - just the earthwork ramparts defining where the settlement once stood. That's actually fine. The real pull is the landscape itself and the sense of standing somewhere that mattered. On a clear day you can pick out distant landmarks that help you read the terrain like an old map.

Walkers will get the most from this one. It's not a destination in itself unless you're into archaeology or field history, but it's cracking as a leg-stretch or a morning outing. Family groups with children aged eight upwards will manage it without complaint. The reserve can be muddy after rain, so check conditions if you're visiting in autumn or winter.

It slots perfectly alongside the caravan parks dotted nearby - Manor Farm is just 2.5 miles away, Stanford Hall only 3.7. You could easily combine this walk with visiting Stanford Hall itself (the hall and grounds are worth a separate trip). EWE Glamping at 5 miles is a touch further but gives you a quieter base if you're planning a couple of days exploring the area's walking routes.