Roseberry Topping

Roseberry Topping rises to just 1,049 feet (320 metres) on the northern edge of the North York Moors, but its half-cone summit and jagged cliff, shaped by a geological fault and a mining collapse in 1912, make it the Tees Valley's best-loved landmark, nicknamed Cleveland's Matterhorn. James Cook climbed it as a boy from Great Ayton, and a 7.2-mile National Trust loop links the summit with Captain Cook's Monument; around the hill lie bluebell woods, heather moorland, Roseberry Common and the disused Cliff Rigg Quarry. Reviewers say the direct climb from Newton-under-Roseberry is steep in parts, but the 360-degree views over the moors and Teesside repay the effort. Tips from regulars: the Newton-under-Roseberry car park is run by the National Park, so members pay too, and has toilets; eroded paths are being repaired, so expect diversions; keep dogs on short leads near livestock and mind the steep drops.