Teg Down

The walk up Teg Down takes about twenty minutes from the car park, following a track that gets progressively steeper as you gain height. Once you're up there, the views across the Hampshire landscape are genuinely worth the leg work - you can see right across to the South Downs on a clear day, and Winchester sits quietly in the valley below. It's one of those spots where you understand why people have been climbing hills for centuries.

This is proper walker territory rather than a casual stroll. The ground can be muddy depending on when you visit, so decent boots are a good call. Kids will either love the challenge or complain the entire way up - depends on the child, really. Give yourself an hour total if you're not rushing, longer if you want to sit about at the top with a flask.

If you're based at one of the nearby caravan sites - Hookpit Farm is the better reviewed of the two - this works as a solid morning or late afternoon excursion. It's free to access and there's no entrance fee or time limits to worry about. The peak itself is open moorland, so there's nothing commercial up there, which is refreshing. Just you, the wind, and increasingly distant views depending on the weather. Worth combining with a wander around Winchester itself on the same day, since you're that close.