Threlkeld Knotts

The walk up Threlkeld Knotts from Keswick is proper straightforward - nothing technical, just a steady climb that rewards you with views across the Lake District without the full-on slog of the bigger peaks. It's a fell rather than a mountain, the sort of place where you get the sense of achievement without needing crampons and a head torch.

You're looking at maybe two hours there and back from the village, depending on how often you stop to catch your breath or photograph the Skiddaw range across the valley. The path is well-trodden, sometimes boggy in patches after rain, but never properly difficult. Kids can manage it comfortably if they're used to walking. What you get at the top is a 1,175-metre vantage point over Keswick itself and views that stretch toward the northern fells - it's the kind of panorama that makes you understand why the Victorians couldn't stop banging on about the Lake District.

For camping visitors at Ewe Love Pods or Troutbeck Head just down the road, this is an excellent half-day expedition that doesn't require a scramble down some technical descent at the end. It's free to walk, as fell walking tends to be in these parts. The real value here is that it feels like you've properly bagged a peak without committing your entire day - you can be back in time for a pint and a proper dinner. Best in autumn when the tourists have thinned out and the light's clearer. Don't expect solitude, but you will avoid the queues you'd face on Skiddaw itself.