Prospect Stile

The walk up to Prospect Stile rewards you with one of those views that actually lives up to the hype. You're standing on high ground near Bath, looking out across the Somerset countryside - proper rolling landscape with fields dropping away below you. It's the kind of spot where you can see why people bothered to mark it as a viewpoint in the first place.

It's not a grand structure or anything. The stile itself is functional rather than fancy - just a way through a fence where walkers have worn a path. But that's rather the point. This is a genuine countryside walk, not some tourist trap. You'll see the landscape that's defined this part of Somerset for centuries. Families with older kids will manage it fine; the walk itself is straightforward enough, though you'll want decent shoes.

Best visited on a clearer day when you can actually see something from the top - misty afternoons are considerably less rewarding. Allow an hour for the walk from Bath itself, though you might spend longer just taking it in if conditions are decent. It works beautifully if you're based at Bath Mill Lodge Retreat and fancy a proper walk without straying too far. Pairs well with a pub lunch back in Bath afterwards.

Not somewhere you'd trek across the country for, but if you're already in the area, this is exactly the kind of straightforward local walk that makes a weekend proper