Thorn Hill

Thorn Hill sits just outside Preston and gives you proper 360-degree views across Lancashire's rolling moorland - nothing spectacular in terms of height, but the outlook is genuinely worth the walk up. On a clear day you can pick out the distant Pennines and the sprawl of the plain below. It's not a dramatic summit; more a steady climb through farmland and open ground that takes about an hour from the nearest parking. The views repay the effort though, especially in late afternoon when the light gets golden across the valleys.

Walkers will enjoy this more than families with small children - there's nothing to do once you're up there except stand around and take photos, which older kids might find tedious after ten minutes. The real appeal is the solitude and the relatively undiscovered feel of it. You won't fight crowds here like you do at some of the Lake District peaks.

If you're staying at Claylands Caravan Park, it's a straightforward drive to the trailhead and makes a decent afternoon outing before heading back for dinner. Allow two to three hours door-to-door if you want to take your time on top. Go when the weather's settled - it's exposed once you gain height, and mist rolls in quickly when the wind's coming off the Irish Sea. Free to visit, naturally, being moorland.