Swallow Knowe

You're looking at a proper fell walk rather than a casual stroll, and Swallow Knowe rewards the effort with views that stretch across Northumberland's rolling moorland. The peak itself isn't dramatic - no jagged rocks or dramatic scrambles - but the walk up gets you moving and the vantage point from the top shows you why people bother. On a clear day you can see for miles across the countryside south of Morpeth.

Walkers will get the most from this one. It's the kind of walk where you need decent boots and the kind of day when the weather's playing ball. Families with older kids who don't mind a proper climb will find it manageable, though younger children might start complaining halfway up. You're looking at two to three hours depending on your pace and which route you take.

There's no charge, no facilities up there, and no visitor centre nonsense. Just moorland and your own steam. The real value is combining it with a stay at one of the nearby caravan parks - Riverside Rothbury Holiday Park sits just 2.6 miles away and makes an excellent base for this kind of walking. Whitton Glebe, even closer at 3.2 miles, is brilliant if you want to string together a few fell walks in the area. Go early or late in the season when the midges aren't out in force and the light's better for photographs.