Ham Hill

The climb up Ham Hill takes about ten minutes from the car park near Crewkerne, and your legs will know you've earned the view. The Iron Age fort sits 200 metres above the Somerset levels, and on a clear day you can see all the way to the Blackdowns. What strikes you most is the sheer drop of the hillsides - golden sandstone cliffs that glow amber in late afternoon light. The Normans built a castle here later, though there's not much left to see now, just ramparts and the shape of ancient defences in the grass.

It's a proper workout rather than a casual stroll, so families with young children should allow an extra twenty minutes. Walkers will appreciate the 360-degree panorama and the fact that the views genuinely deliver - no haze, no disappointment. History buffs will spend longer puzzling over the earthworks and imagining what life was like when this was a real stronghold.

The sandstone quarries that surround the hill are still active, which is both fascinating and slightly surreal - you're standing on something genuinely ancient while diggers work away in the distance. Summer is the time to visit, when the slopes are dry underfoot and the light lasts long into the evening. Parking is free and there are no entrance fees.

If you're staying at Esme's Escape or Thorney Lakes nearby, Ham Hill makes an excellent morning outing before you settle back at your glamping spot or caravan. It's close enough for a half-day trip but feels properly remote once you're up there.