Thrift Hill

Thrift Hill sits just east of Royston, and it's the sort of spot you'd miss entirely if someone didn't tell you about it. For Cambridgeshire, this is proper high ground - not exactly Alpine, but enough to offer genuine views across the flatlands that make up most of the county. The walk up takes about twenty minutes from the car park, and it's straightforward rather than challenging, which means families with younger kids won't struggle.

You get to the top and suddenly the landscape opens out. On a clear day you can see for miles, and the sense of actually being somewhere elevated matters more than the actual elevation when you're used to the fenlands. It's free to visit, which helps, and there's no faffing about with tickets or opening hours - you just turn up.

It works well as a diversion if you're based at one of the nearby caravan parks - Ashridge Farm is only 2.9 miles away, or Guilden Gate Glamping at 4 miles if you fancy something less conventional. A couple of hours here slots neatly into a morning before lunch in Royston. History types won't find much - there's no dramatic backstory - but walkers and anyone after a proper countryside perspective will find it worthwhile. Children get bored after an hour though, unless they're the sort who like spotting distant landmarks. Worth the detour? If you're staying nearby, absolutely. If you're driving specifically from Cambridge, probably not.