Wythes Hill

The walk up Wythes Hill pays off properly. It's a modest fell by Pennine standards - nothing that'll leave you gasping - but the views across Teesdale open up as you climb, and on a clear day you can see far enough to make the effort feel worthwhile. The approach from Barnard Castle is straightforward enough, though you'll want decent boots if the ground's been wet.

This is walker territory, frankly. It's not a quick twenty-minute stroll, and the views won't mean much to small children who just want to sit down. But if you're based at one of the caravan parks nearby - Leekworth or Mickleton Mill are closest at under three miles - it makes for a solid half-day outing. You're looking at two to three hours return, depending on pace and whether you dawdle at the top. The peak itself isn't dramatic, but the landscape is proper Dales, with stone walls and moorland stretching away.

Timing matters here. Visit in decent weather and it's genuinely pleasant. Fog rolls in quickly in these hills, and then you're just walking through cloud for your trouble. Summer weekends bring walkers from Barnard Castle out this way, so midweek is quieter if you prefer that.

It won't be the highlight of a park holiday, but it slots in well alongside other Teesdale walks. Not everything needs to be a destination. Sometimes a hill with a view and an hour or two of fresh air is exactly what you need.