Whirl Howe

The walk up Whirl Howe isn't long, but it punches above its weight. You're looking at a proper fell with views that sprawl across the Lake District - Windermere sprawls out below, and on a clear day you can pick out the bigger peaks doing their dramatic thing in the distance.

It's a straightforward climb from the Kendal side, manageable for families with older kids who don't mind a bit of a huff. The summit itself is modest - no dramatic cairn or mountain shelter - but that's part of its charm. You get the effort-to-reward ratio working properly in your favour. Allow a couple of hours there and back, depending on fitness.

Walkers will appreciate it as a warm-up fell or a midweek leg-stretcher between bigger days out. History enthusiasts might find themselves poking around old quarry workings on the slopes - industrial archaeology playing out on the fellside. It's free to access, naturally, being common fell land.

If you're based at Parkdean Resorts Limefitt Holiday Park or the Windermere Camping and Caravanning Club Site just down the road, Whirl Howe makes an excellent morning sortie before tackling the bigger Lake District classics. It's close enough not to eat up half your day driving, but far enough away from the Catbells crowds that you'll actually hear yourself think up there.