Broom Hill

The walk up Broom Hill rewards you with proper views across the Lee Valley and beyond - nothing dramatic, but on a clear day you can see well past Chingford to the Essex flatlands. It's the highest point in Hertfordshire at 420 metres, which sounds grander than it feels underfoot, but that's rather the point: you don't get mountaineer drama here, just a genuine vantage point that makes the surrounding countryside suddenly make sense.

The hill itself is manageable. You're looking at an hour's walk from nearby Chingford, though most people do it as a gentle amble rather than a proper hike. The terrain is straightforward - open grassland and woods, nothing to trip you up, and it's the sort of place where families with reasonably fit legs will do fine. Worth allowing a good two hours if you want to linger at the top with a flask.

Historically it's been used as a beacon site, which explains why someone bothered climbing here in the first place. These days it's quiet, sometimes almost empty if you go mid-week. The views matter more than the location itself - it's not a destination so much as a proper walk that concludes somewhere worthwhile.

If you're based at Lee Valley Campsite just 2.2 miles away, or any of the other nearby parks, this makes a natural day out. Combine it with the valley floor walks or head into Chingford proper for lunch. Walkers will appreciate it more than families after a quick photo stop, but don't discount it if you're after a proper stretch of the legs without disappearing into the wilderness.