Watch Hill

The walk up Watch Hill from Wigton takes about forty minutes if you're moving at a decent pace, and the effort pays off with proper views across the Solway Firth towards Scotland. It's not a mountain - more of a substantial hump on the landscape - but that's rather the point. You get the sense of elevation without the lung-busting scramble, and on a clear day you can see across to the Scottish hills, which feels like a real achievement when you've only been walking for less than an hour.

Historically, this was a beacon point - locals would light fires here to warn of approaching danger, which explains the name. There's something rather appealing about standing where people have stood for centuries, watching the same horizons they watched.

It's a natural fit if you're staying at Glendale Holiday Park nearby - close enough for a morning walk before breakfast, manageable enough that you won't spend the entire holiday getting up and down it. Families with kids aged eight and up will manage the ascent without complaint, though younger children might struggle with the uneven ground. Allow two hours for the round trip if you're ambling and taking photos.

Wigton itself is a proper working market town, not tarted up for tourists, so you'll find proper pubs and cafes without the chocolate-box nonsense. Go midweek if you can - weekends can get a bit busy with walkers from the coast. Free to visit, obviously. No facilities on the hill itself, so bring water.