Howe Hill

The walk up Howe Hill from Milnthorpe is a proper leg-burner, but nothing in Cumbria worth doing ever comes easy. You're looking at a steep climb through farmland and then open moorland, with the Lake District proper visible from the top on a clear day. It's not a long route - you can knock it out in a couple of hours - but the gradient means you'll feel it in your thighs.

What makes this worthwhile isn't some thumping vista at the summit. It's more subtle than that. The fell opens up gradually as you climb, and by the time you're up there you've got proper views across Morecambe Bay and back towards the South Lakes. Families with confident walkers will manage fine; young kids or anyone after an easy stroll should maybe look elsewhere.

Stay at Little Acre Holiday Park or Once Upon a Fell if you're basing yourself nearby, both within a couple of miles. The walk itself is free - it's a footpath, after all - and there's no specific best time to visit, though obviously you want decent weather to make the effort worthwhile. Midweek or off-season beats fighting crowds.

Honestly, if you're already in the Milnthorpe area visiting one of the local parks, Howe Hill gives you a decent morning out. It's not the sort of thing to plan a holiday around, but it's a cracking spot if you're in the neighbourhood and fancy stretching your legs properly.