Meon Hill Multivallate Hillfort

The ramparts of Meon Hill rise abruptly from the Gloucestershire countryside just outside Chipping Campden, a series of steep earthen banks that speak of Iron Age ambition. This multivallate hillfort - meaning it has multiple defensive rings - covers about eight acres at its summit, and walking the perimeter takes a decent half-hour if you're taking it in properly.

What you're looking at is roughly 2,000 years of erosion softening what were once formidable fortifications. The multiple ditches and ramparts still command the landscape, and on a clear day the views across the Vale of Evesham justify the climb alone. There's no interpretation board or visitor centre, which some find frustrating and others rather like - it's just you, the archaeology, and your imagination.

History types will get the most from this one, though walkers use it regularly as a waypoint on longer Cotswolds routes. Kids might manage the ascent but will likely lose interest once they realise there are no ruins to explore, no cafe at the top. It's free and accessible year-round, though muddy after rain.

If you're based at one of the local parks - Campden Yurts is closest at under four miles - it's worth combining with a walk into Chipping Campden itself. The town's properly worth an afternoon, and Meon Hill works as a morning excursion before heading down for lunch. The real draw here isn't the hillfort itself but the walk to reach it and what the landscape reveals once you're up there.