Vagar Hill

Climbing up through the bracken and gorse, you'll find yourself wondering if the OS map got it right about this modest Herefordshire summit. Vagar Hill sits quietly west of Hereford, offering surprisingly good views across the Wye Valley for relatively little effort. The path isn't well marked, so bring your navigation skills - this isn't a Sunday stroll for casual walkers.

From the top, the panorama takes in the Black Mountains to the west and rolls of green farmland stretching towards the cathedral city below. It's proper hill walking country, the sort of place where you might not see another soul for hours. Keen walkers and those after a bit of solitude will appreciate the lack of crowds that plague more famous peaks.

Allow a good two to three hours for the round trip from wherever you manage to park - finding the start point is half the challenge. Best tackled on a clear day when the views justify the muddy boots. Families with young children might find it a bit much, though teenagers up for an adventure could enjoy the sense of discovery.

Staying at one of the nearby sites like Poston Mill or Chapel House Farm puts you well within striking distance of several similar hills in this overlooked corner of Herefordshire.