Knitsley Fell

The trig point at Knitsley Fell sits at 355 metres, making it one of those modest Pennine summits that doesn't announce itself but rewards those who bother to walk up. From Bishop Auckland it's an easy enough drive out to the fell itself - you're looking at moorland walking country, open and windswept, with views across County Durham that stretch on properly clear days.

What you actually do here is walk. The fell isn't a destination with facilities or attractions - it's a trig point marking a surveyor's station, the sort of thing Ordnance Survey buffs and fell collectors seek out. If you're into peak bagging or trigpointing, you'll get it. Families might find an hour of moorland walking a bit thin unless the kids are genuinely into navigation and map work. Walkers based at Bradley Burn Caravan Park - just a mile away - could easily incorporate this into a morning's ramble, combining it with other routes across the fell.

There's no admission fee because there's nothing to admit to, really. Access is free as long as you respect the moorland. Go early if you can, especially in summer - the wind up there can be relentless, and the weather changes fast. Allow an hour or so for the walk itself, depending on your fitness and exactly where you park.

If you're staying at one of the nearby parks for a week, this works as a short sharp walk between bigger days out. Bishop Auckland itself has more conventional attractions, but for walkers who know what they're after, Knitsley Fell is honest moorland without pretence.