Caldron Hill

The walk up Caldron Hill from Cockermouth isn't long, but it's steep enough to get the blood pumping. You're looking at maybe 45 minutes from the town centre if you're moving at a decent pace, and the reward is a proper fell-top view across the Lake District fells and down to the Solway Firth on a clear day. It's one of those local peaks that doesn't get the crowds of the bigger names, which is exactly why it's worth doing.

The summit itself isn't much - a modest cairn and open moorland - but the visibility from up there is genuinely impressive. You can pick out Skiddaw and the main Lake District ridge to the east, which gives you a real sense of where you are in the landscape. Walkers will appreciate how quickly you can bag a fell and feel like you've actually achieved something without spending all day at it.

Families with older kids will get the most out of this. Younger children might find the climb tedious, and there's not much to do at the top except admire the view and eat a sandwich. The whole outing works perfectly if you're based at Greysouthen or Castle Guards Farm - you can be climbing within minutes of breakfast. It's the sort of walk you do because you're on a Cumbrian holiday and the weather's cooperating, not because you've planned six months ahead. Free, naturally. Go when it's not raining sideways.