Hurley Beacon

The walk up Hurley Beacon is a proper leg-burner, but the payoff justifies every step. You're climbing to around 300 metres on the edge of the Quantock Hills, with views that stretch across Somerset on a clear day. The summit itself is bare and windswept - there's a trig point marking the top, and on good weather days you can see right across to Exmoor and beyond. It's the kind of place where the wind tries to knock you sideways but the vista makes it absolutely worth it.

The route from nearby Holford is straightforward enough, though fairly steep in places. Allow a solid two hours return if you're taking it at a reasonable pace, longer if you want to linger at the top with a flask of tea. Families with younger kids might find it tough - it's not a gentle climb - but teenagers and proper walkers will find it rewarding. The Quantock Hills themselves are cracking for exploring, so you could easily spend a day doing multiple peaks in the area.

If you're based at one of the local caravan parks like Moorhouse Campsite or Mill Farm just outside Holford, Hurley Beacon is an excellent half-day objective. Free to visit, obviously - just turn up and start walking. Worth doing on a day when the clouds are high enough to see something worthwhile from the top. Don't bother on thick fog days.