Shipstal Hill

Sweeping views across Dorset's heathland and Poole Harbour make this modest hilltop worth the short climb. Shipstal Hill rises gently from the surrounding countryside just outside Poole, offering one of those proper 360-degree panoramas that remind you why people bang on about the English countryside.

Families staying at nearby Haven Rockley Park or Sandford Holiday Park will find it a decent morning's walk - not too taxing for younger legs, but enough of an incline to earn the view at the top. The summit gives you a cracking perspective over the harbour's maze of channels and islands, with the Purbeck Hills rolling away to the south.

Dog walkers have claimed this spot as their own, and rightly so. The open access means you can wander at will, and there's plenty of space for energetic spaniels to stretch their legs. Best visited early morning or late afternoon when the light catches the water and the tourist crowds are elsewhere.

Allow an hour for the round trip from the nearest parking, though keen walkers could easily stretch it into a longer ramble across the heath. Nothing fancy here - just good honest walking and views that'll have you reaching for your camera. Well worth combining with a trip to one of the harbour's ferry terminals if you're making a proper day of it.