Castle Hills

The woodland around Castle Hills, just outside Carlisle, is proper walking territory - dense enough to feel like you've left the city behind, but close enough that you're never more than twenty minutes from proper amenities. The main draw here is the fort itself, a Roman auxiliary settlement that's now mostly earthworks and overgrown ramparts, but if you know what you're looking at, it tells a decent story about the frontier.

This is walkers' country, not a destination for the easily distracted. Kids under eight will likely lose interest fairly quickly - there's no visitor centre, no plaques spelling everything out, just woodland and bumps in the ground. But if you've got teenagers into history or the family enjoys a ramble without needing constant signposting, it's worth the detour. The walk itself is pleasant enough through mixed forest, with the views opening up towards the Pennines if you time it right.

Free to access, which is always welcome. Allow a couple of hours if you're taking it slowly and actually thinking about what stood here two thousand years ago. Best visited on a dry day - the woodland paths get boggy fast after rain.

If you're camping nearby at High Hall Farm Campsite, this makes a good half-day outing to break up a longer stay. It's a genuine piece of Roman Britain rather than a museum piece, which appeals to a certain sort of visitor. Everyone else will probably find it a bit underwhelming.