Powley's Hill

The walk up Powley's Hill takes about twenty minutes from Penrith, and the effort pays off with genuine Lake District views without the crowds you'd get dragging yourself up Catbells or High Street. It's not a proper peak - more of a rollicking high point - but that's rather the appeal. You get open moorland underfoot, the kind of walking that feels properly outdoorsy without requiring fell boots and a packed lunch.

The summit's compact. Stand there on a decent day and you can see across to the Pennines, back towards Ullswater, and across to the higher fells. It's the sort of place that rewards a clear morning rather than afternoon cloud creep, so get going early if you're serious about the view.

For families with kids aged eight and up, this is ideal. Young children will find the scree a bit tedious, but older ones should manage it fine. The path isn't technical and you're not exposed anywhere that would worry competent walkers. Reckon on forty-five minutes there and back if you're not stopping, longer if you're savoring the view and having a flask of tea.

If you're based at Crossgate Luxury Glamping - that's the only holiday accommodation worth mentioning nearby - this makes a brilliant half-morning outing before you head into Penrith town proper or off to explore the bigger routes around Helvellyn. It won't take a full day, but that's fine. Sometimes a short, sharp walk is exactly what you need.