Rushy Knowe

The walk up Rushy Knowe rewards you with proper views across Northumberland's moorland - the kind that make you understand why people bother with peaks in this corner of England. It's not a dramatic summit, nothing like the Lake District showstoppers, but that's rather the point. You get the sense of standing above the everyday without the crowds or the scrambling.

The path from Hexham takes you through open country where the light changes constantly. On a clear day you can see for miles across the Kielder area - those two waterside holiday parks nearby benefit from being in genuinely wild-feeling terrain, and this walk shows you why. Allow a couple of hours return, depending on your pace and how long you linger at the top. It's the sort of walk that suits anyone who's after a modest exertion with a genuine payoff - families with decent walkers, couples wanting something low-key, older hikers who'd rather not battle technical ground.

There's nothing commercial here, which means free admission and no facilities to speak of. Bring what you need. Winter can make it bleak rather than beautiful, so late spring through early autumn works best. It fits perfectly into a Kielder holiday - you're never far from water and woodland, and this gives you the elevation to see how it all connects. Not Instagram-famous, but that's exactly why it's worth your time.