Pike Lowe

The walk up Pike Lowe from Sheffield isn't particularly long, but it's steep enough that you'll feel it in your legs. The peak itself sits at around 1,200 feet and gives you proper views across the Dark Peak - on a clear day you can see for miles across South Yorkshire's moorland. It's not a dramatic summit with a trig point or anything fancy, just a modest hill that rewards you with a decent panorama and the satisfaction of having climbed something real.

Walkers will get the most out of this one. It's a straightforward up-and-back route that takes two to three hours depending on your pace, making it perfect if you're camped nearby at Hoodlands Farm Campsite or Boots and Bubbles and want a proper morning's exercise without committing to a full day trek. Families with kids aged ten and up should manage it fine, though younger ones might struggle with the gradient.

There's nothing to pay, no facilities at the top, and you'll need decent boots - the ground gets boggy in places and can be slippery when wet. Spring and early autumn are best, when the weather's more stable and you're not battling summer crowds on the Peak District's more famous hills. It's the kind of walk that doesn't make it into guidebooks much, which is precisely why it's worth doing. You get solitude, exercise, and views without the faffing about that comes with Mam Tor or Lose Hill.