Woldies

The Woldies are a proper bit of North Yorkshire landscape - rolling chalk hills that rise up from the Vale of Pickering with real presence. They're not mountains, but they feel significant when you're walking through them, especially on a clear day when you can see for miles across the flat farmland below.

What you're actually doing here is walking. The Woldies are best experienced on foot, following the network of footpaths that crisscross the ridges and valleys. It's the kind of terrain that rewards a decent pair of boots - nothing technical, but there are gradients and the ground can be muddy. Most people spend anything from a couple of hours to a full day up here depending on which route they fancy.

History buffs will appreciate that you're walking through proper old country - ancient drove roads, old settlements, Bronze Age burial mounds. It's subtle stuff though, not dramatic ruins or visitor centres. You have to read the landscape yourself.

Families with older kids will get on well here. Younger ones might find it a bit samey after an hour unless they're properly into walking. The proximity to Pickering is handy - you can base yourself at one of the local glamping spots like Wolds Walk or Yorkshire Wolds Glamping and make a morning of it before heading back for lunch.

There's nothing to book, nothing to pay for. Just turn up with a map or a decent walking app and go. Early morning is best - you'll have the hills mostly to yourself.