Pen-y-Coed

The walk up Pen-y-Coed is proper steep, I won't lie. Rising 370 metres above the surrounding countryside near Wrexham, this Shropshire peak demands proper legs and decent boots. But once you've clambered to the summit, the effort feels justified - you get wide views across the borderland where England and Wales blur into one another.

It's not a dramatic crag or anything theatrical. Pen-y-Coed is a modest, grass-topped hill with a trig point that draws serious walkers rather than casual strollers. The ascent takes the best part of an hour depending on your fitness, and you'll likely have the place largely to yourself outside weekends. Families with young children might find it a bit much for their legs, but teenagers or active kids will relish the challenge and the proper sense of achievement at the top.

The surrounding woodland helps break up the climb, and the moorland character of the upper slopes feels remote despite being close to civilisation. Wrexham lies just beyond the Welsh border, making this an easy detour if you're basing yourself at Foxtail Holiday Park nearby.

Go on a clear day - when cloud comes in, the summit loses much of its appeal. Allow two hours there and back, plus time for a sit-down and a flask at the top. It's free to access and you can park sensibly near the trailhead. Worth doing once; worth doing twice if you love a fell walk that doesn't require technical kit.