Stony Hill

The walk up Stony Hill rewards you with proper views across the Ribble Valley - the kind of vista that makes you understand why people bother with Pendle Hill when this is on the doorstep. It's a modest fell by Pennine standards, but don't let that fool you. The climb is straightforward enough from Clitheroe, taking the better part of an hour depending on your pace and how many times you stop to catch your breath on the steeper sections.

What you get at the summit is bracken, limestone outcrops, and on a clear day, sight lines that stretch right across Lancashire. It's the sort of place walkers genuinely enjoy - no crowds, no visitor centre, just good moorland and honest ground beneath your boots. Families with decent hill legs will manage it fine; small children might find the final push a bit much, but there's nothing technical about it.

The real draw is combining it with a broader day in the Ribble Valley. You're only a few miles from Clitheroe itself, and if you've based yourself at one of the caravan parks - Cross Lane is closest at just over two miles out - you can knock this out before breakfast or as an afternoon ramble. It's free, obviously, and there's no specific opening times to worry about. Allow a couple of hours return, perhaps a bit longer if you want to potter about on top. Go when the light's good, which usually means morning or late afternoon. Midday sun washes out the views something chronic.