Wickham Hill

The walk up Wickham Hill from Ware is one of those unassuming climbs that rewards you far more than the effort suggests. It's not dramatic - Hertfordshire doesn't do drama - but the view across the county once you're up there genuinely justifies the trudge. On a clear day you can see properly far, which for the south-east feels like a proper achievement.

The hill itself is just a modest bump in what's otherwise very flat terrain, so the sense of elevation feels greater than the actual metres climbed. A steady twenty-minute walk from Ware gets you there without fuss. The surrounding countryside is gentle rather than stunning - rolling fields, the odd stand of trees, that sort of thing - but it's the kind of place where you understand why people lived and settled here centuries back.

Walkers will get the most from this. It's not hard enough to deter families with younger kids, but it's not a dramatic enough destination to keep them entertained for hours either. Thirty minutes up, a breather at the top, thirty minutes back is about right. Early morning or late afternoon light transforms it - the shadows across the fields get proper moody then.

If you're staying at Church Farm in Ardeley, just five miles away, this makes a solid morning stroll before heading back for lunch. It won't change your life, but on a decent day it's well worth the walk. No facilities at the top, so bring water.