Pen Rhiw

The walk up Pen Rhiw isn't long, but it's steep enough that you'll feel it in your calves. This modest Flintshire peak sits just a few miles south of Chester, making it perfect for a morning sortie if you're based at one of the nearby glamping spots like Honeypot Hideaways or Willow Farm. Once you're up there - and it won't take more than forty minutes from the car park - the views open out across the Cheshire Plain with decent vistas back towards Wales.

It's the sort of hill that rewards a proper walk without demanding full hiking boots or an early start. Families with older kids will manage it fine; younger ones might find the steepness a bit much. The summit itself is unremarkable - no trig point or dramatic outcrop - but the landscape around it is quietly compelling, especially on clear days when you can pick out landmarks towards Snowdonia.

Going solo or with a partner, you'll likely have the place to yourself on a weekday. Weekends bring a few more walkers, but never crowds. Allow an hour and a half if you're taking your time and want to sit around at the top with a flask. It's free to visit, obviously - you're just parking at the base and walking up rough tracks and fields. Best visited between late spring and early autumn when the paths aren't waterlogged. If you're staying at the glamping sites nearby, it's an easy morning jaunt that leaves you the rest of the day to explore Chester or venture deeper into North Wales.