Knap Hill

The walk up Knap Hill from Marlborough takes about forty minutes if you're reasonably fit, and the views across the Wiltshire downs make every step worthwhile. It's a proper chalk hill with open grassland on top - the sort of place where you can actually see for miles on a clear day, all the way to the Cotswolds in one direction and the Hampshire border in the other.

This is walker territory, full stop. Families with young kids might find the climb a bit of a slog, though once you're up there, the flat summit is perfect for a picnic and a breather. There's genuine Iron Age history here too - the hill was fortified thousands of years ago, and you can still make out the earthworks if you know what you're looking for. Bring a decent map or use your phone's GPS to find them, because they're not always obvious.

The nearest camping options are Ridgeway Campsite and Hillview Park, both within spitting distance of Marlborough town centre, which makes this an easy outing if you're staying locally. You'll want a clear day for the walk - bad weather just means you're grinding uphill for no view. Allow three hours return from town if you're taking it steady and actually looking at the landscape rather than just bagging the summit. Free to visit, obviously. It's the Wiltshire downs - nobody charges you to walk on them.