Sheffield Pike

The walk up Sheffield Pike rewards you with something rare in the Lake District - proper solitude and views that don't require fighting through crowds. It's a modest fell by Lakeland standards, 675 metres, but the ascent from the Glenridding Valley is straightforward enough that you're not wrestling with technical scrambles all day. The summit gives you a 360-degree panorama: Helvellyn dominates to the east, Ullswater spreads out below like crumpled silver foil, and on clear days you can trace the valley all the way towards Penrith.

This works best for fell-walkers rather than casual strollers. Allow three to four hours round trip from the valley car park. The path is well-trodden but becomes boggy in wet weather - proper boots essential. Children aged ten and up who've done a few hills before will manage it fine, though younger ones might find the steady grind tedious.

Timing matters. Go early or mid-week if you're after that solitude. Weekends from Easter through October draw hikers from the nearby holiday parks - Troutbeck Head and Sykeside are only four miles away - so you won't have the fell to yourself, but you will feel genuinely active rather than tourist-shuffling.

It's free, naturally. Pair it with Ullswater itself for the afternoon, or tackle Helvellyn on a second day if you're based at one of the camping parks nearby. Sheffield Pike deserves its place in any three-day Lake District itinerary.