Stephen's Mound

The walk up Stephen's Mound, just outside Salisbury, takes about twenty minutes if you're not hanging about. It's a proper Iron Age hill fort, which means the views from the top stretch right across the Wiltshire plains - that sweeping, slightly melancholic English countryside that either speaks to you or doesn't. On a clear day you can see for miles.

What you actually get is a grassy mound with earthwork ditches running round it, the sort of thing that makes sense when you're standing there but would baffle you completely from a photo. There's not much interpretation on site, so either bring a guidebook or go in expecting to use your imagination about how people once defended themselves from up here. The scramble to the summit is gentle enough for families with kids who can manage a fifteen-minute walk without complaining.

Historically minded visitors will find this worth the detour - it's properly old, genuinely significant, and you get the place more or less to yourself. Less compelling if you're after dramatic views or tidy attractions with visitor facilities. There's no café, no toilets, no entry fee either, which is refreshing.

It fits well with staying at Salisbury Hillside Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite, about six miles away. Bundle it into a day that includes Salisbury itself - the cathedral and market town will keep you occupied for half a day, then head out here for the open air bit. Spring or autumn are best; winter gets muddy underfoot, summer crowds rarely show up but the grass can be brittle.