Kilburn North Yorkshire

Head north from York and you'll find Kilburn, a proper working village that hasn't been turned into some twee tourist trap. The real draw here is White Horse Bank - that enormous chalk figure carved into the hillside above the village, gleaming white against the green slopes. It's 314 feet long, visible for miles around, and genuinely impressive when you're standing underneath it looking up.

The horse itself is the work of a local schoolmaster called John Hodgson, carved out in 1857 with a crew of villagers who must have had serious stamina. Walking up to it takes a good twenty minutes on a decent path, longer if you're not used to the gradient. The views back across the Moors are worth the huffing and puffing.

Kilburn village itself has the Forresters Arms pub - decent enough for a pint and something to eat after the walk. There's not much else in the way of formal attractions, which is rather the point. It's the kind of place where you come for the walk and the views, not to queue for a gift shop.

Families with kids who can manage a hillside walk will get something out of it. Rambling enthusiasts absolutely should include it in their North Yorkshire circuit. If you're staying at The Hideaway@Baxby Manor nearby, you could knock this out as a morning excursion before heading elsewhere. Allow two hours from village to horse and back. Free, obviously.