Windmill Hill

The walk up Windmill Hill rewards you with one of those views that makes you stop grumbling about the climb. It's a proper little peak in the Dorset landscape, and from the top you get a genuine sense of how the land falls away around you - nothing dramatic, but genuinely satisfying. The hill itself is unremarkable going in, just a steady ascent through farmland, but once you're up there it becomes clear why someone bothered to put a windmill here centuries ago. Wind-battered and exposed, it's the sort of place that catches the breeze properly.

The walk takes somewhere between 45 minutes and an hour depending on your pace and how long you dawdle at the top taking photos. It's manageable for families with reasonable fitness, though younger legs might find it a slog on a hot day. There's something honest about it - no fancy facilities, no café, just a hill and the view. Being close to Castle Cary means you're well-positioned if you're based at Long Hazel Park or any of the other caravan sites in the area, all within five or six miles.

Go early morning or late afternoon. The middle of the day can feel exposed and windswept, which sounds atmospheric but gets wearing after twenty minutes. Free to access - it's not cordoned off or anything - and there's usually somewhere to park near the base. It works brilliantly as an afternoon outing to stretch your legs during a park holiday, especially if the weather's decent. Don't expect a destination in itself, but as part of a broader wander round this corner of Dorset, it's absolutely worth the detour.