Duck Hill

The walk up Duck Hill is a proper Wiltshire climb - nothing dramatic, but enough to warm the legs on a grey afternoon. This modest peak sits just outside Salisbury and gives you the sort of views that justify a half-day detour if you're based at one of the nearby campsites like Green Hill Farm or Longbeech.

You won't find much at the summit itself - no café, no monument, just open downland and the satisfaction of having gained a bit of height. The appeal is straightforward: decent panoramas across the Wiltshire landscape, and if the weather plays ball, you can see well beyond Salisbury toward the chalk country beyond. It's a walker's thing rather than a sightseeing spectacle.

Allow about ninety minutes to two hours for the whole outing, depending on your pace and how long you dawdle at the top. The terrain is farmland and footpath, so it's dry underfoot most of the time, though winter can turn it boggy. Families with kids over eight will get on fine with it - younger ones might find it a bit long for little legs.

There's no admission charge as far as anyone can tell, and you won't need to book anything. It works well as a morning walk before heading to New Forest National Park for the afternoon, or as a breather between camp days if you're staying at Ashurst or Matley Wood. Not the most thrilling peak in the South West, but a honest, uncomplicated bit of chalk country rambling.