Tower Hill

The walk up Tower Hill from Aylesford rewards you with one of those rare views that actually justifies the climb. It's not a dramatic peak by any stretch - the Essex and Kent borderlands don't do dramatic - but the height gives you proper sight lines across the Medway Valley and beyond. On a clear day you'll spot the North Downs rippling away to the south, and the landscape unfolds in a way it simply doesn't from the towns below.

It's an easy half-hour climb from Aylesford, popular with local walkers who know the area well. The paths are straightforward, nothing technical, so families with older kids manage it without fuss. You get a real sense of the Weald from up there - proper working farmland, not theme-park countryside. The site itself is modest - a clearing with views, the kind of place where people stop for a sandwich and then head back down. There's no facilities, no cafe, none of that. Just the view.

If you're based at Kits Coty Glamping or Thamesview Camping, both within spitting distance, Tower Hill makes a solid morning or afternoon outing. It slots in nicely around other walks in the area - the Medway Valley Path runs nearby. Go midweek if you can, as weekends bring the serious hiking crowds. Best in autumn when the air clears up and you're not melting in summer humidity.