Soapers Hill

The walk up Soapers Hill rewards you with proper views across the Dorset countryside - nothing steep about it, and you're done in under an hour from the car. It's a gentle climb that builds rather than batters, with the sort of 360-degree vistas you'd expect from something with 'hill' in the name, though it won't knock your socks off if you've already done the Purbecks.

Families with younger kids will manage this without complaint. There's enough distance to feel like you've earned the view, but not so much that anyone needs carrying halfway up. History types will be less impressed - there's no Iron Age fort or Bronze Age barrow here, just open rolling terrain and the bones of the Dorset landscape itself.

It's free to visit and there's parking near Dorchester, which sits just a few miles away. Late afternoon is the call if you want decent light for photographs. The downhill trudge back is quicker than the ascent, so allow ninety minutes total if you're taking your time.

Worth pairing with a stay at one of the nearby glamping spots - Litton Lakes or Dorset Valley are both close enough that you could combine this with other walks in the area without much faffing about. On its own it's a pleasant hour out, nothing more. But as part of a longer Dorset walking weekend, it slots in nicely.