Pipers Cross

The walk up Pipers Cross takes you through proper Northumberland moorland, and on a clear day the views west towards the Pennines are genuinely excellent. It's not a massive peak - you're looking at a modest summit with a cairn - but the approach from Hexham area is straightforward enough for most walkers, and the high moorland feels genuinely wild once you're up there.

This is fundamentally a walker's destination. You won't find facilities, car parks with signs, or anything fancy - just open country and a decent vantage point. Most people allow two to three hours round trip depending on fitness and exactly where you start from. It works well as a half-day outing, which means you can base yourself at one of the Kielder parks and tackle it without eating into your whole holiday.

The proximity to Kielder Waterside is handy - you're only a few miles from those lodges, and combining a moorland walk with time by the water makes for a proper mixed break. Kielder Campsite is close enough too if you're doing the full outdoors thing.

Worth doing? Yes, if you enjoy upland walking and aren't after the dramatic peaks of the Lake District or Scotland. The scenery justifies the effort, and it's refreshingly quiet compared to the honeypot walks further south. Go in decent weather though - these moors can be bleak and visibility poor in cloud.