Old High

The walk up Old High from Kendal is one of those proper Lake District outings that doesn't require a full day or technical kit, but delivers views that feel properly earned. The fell itself rises sharp and sudden above the town, and the path winds up through bracken and rough grass in a way that gets your legs working without becoming a slog.

What you're after here is the view back down to Kendal and across the valleys beyond. On a clear day the perspective shifts the whole area into focus - you can see how the town sits in its valley, how the landscape rolls outward. It's the sort of vantage point that makes sense of walking map contours. The summit itself is modest, a trig point and some rocky bits, nothing dramatic. But that's almost the point.

Walkers after a two-hour circuit will find this genuinely rewarding. It's not a hike for small children unless they're used to climbing, and anyone after a stroll through woodland might find it a bit exposed and relentless. The best approach is early morning when Kendal's still quiet and the light's coming from the east.

If you're based at Two Acre Glamping Pods or Kendal Camping and Caravanning Club Site, this makes a cracking morning outing before breakfast. The access is straightforward from town, parking's available in Kendal proper, and you're back down within two hours for lunch. No facilities on the fell itself, so bring water.