Black Pike

The walk up Black Pike isn't glamorous, but that's rather the point. This modest Northumberland peak sits just a few miles south of Hexham, the kind of hill that catches you off guard with its views once you've done the graft to get there. The summit itself is a straightforward trudge from the lower slopes - nothing technical, just honest legwork through moorland that shifts colour depending on the season.

What makes it worthwhile is the perspective. On a clear day you're looking out across the Tyne valley with the Pennine range stretching away to the south. It's not a dramatic drop or a knife-edge ridge, but the openness of it all has a certain appeal, especially if you're after solitude rather than queuing with school parties. Most people can manage the ascent in under an hour, which means you're not committing your whole day to it.

If you're based at one of the nearby campsites - Hesleyside Huts is closest at just three miles away, or Bellingham if you want something more established - Black Pike works as a decent half-day walk without requiring a car journey. Families with older kids will get more from it than toddlers. The moorland can be boggy after rain, so waterproof boots aren't optional.

It's the sort of walk that doesn't announce itself in glossy guidebooks, which is exactly why locals rate it. Worth the detour if you're in the area and the weather's playing ball.