Staples Hill

The walk up Staples Hill rewards you with genuine views across the Wiltshire valleys - nothing too dramatic, but proper countryside from up there. It's a modest peak rather than a mountain, which means you can get to the top in under an hour from Bradford-on-Avon without needing special kit or training.

On a clear day you'll see right across the valleys and farmland that make this corner of Wiltshire worth visiting. The hill itself is walker-friendly, the kind of place where families with kids aged eight and up won't struggle, though younger ones might need carrying for stretches. There's no visitor centre or facilities at the summit - just grass, sky, and decent perspective.

It works brilliantly as a morning walk if you're basing yourself at one of the nearby sites like Campwell Farm just a mile away or Stowford Manor Farm near Trowbridge. Stick it in with other walks in the area rather than treating it as a standalone trip. The Wiltshire countryside rewards exploring on foot, and Staples Hill gives you decent vantage point to work out where to walk next.

Free to visit, naturally. Allow a couple of hours including rest time at the top. Go when the weather's clear - a misty day up here is just muddy grass and fog. Spring and early autumn work best, when the fields are interesting to look at from above and the paths aren't waterlogged.