Ashby de la Zouch Castle

The tower catches you first - that brick keep rising abruptly from the Leicestershire landscape like something from a medieval postcard. Ashby de la Zouch Castle is properly impressive, a 15th-century fortress that actually feels substantial rather than crumbled-down and vague. You're walking around genuine castle remains, not just grass humps with a placard.

The keep is the main draw, and it's worth the climb if your knees are up for it. The views across the countryside from the top are decent, though nothing that'll make you gasp. The ruins themselves - a mix of brick and stone - tell the story of a place that mattered once. It's run by English Heritage, so expect the usual standards: a small shop, information boards that actually explain what you're looking at, the works.

Families with younger kids might find an hour about right before restlessness sets in. Walkers heading through the area should add it to the route - it's just south of Coalville and breaks up a day nicely. History types will get more out of the detail work, reading about the Tudor connections and the Civil War damage.

If you're based at one of the caravan sites within a few miles - Conkers is closest at 3.6 miles - this makes a proper half-day outing. Admission fees apply, so check the English Heritage website before you go. Best visit on a dry day. The paths can get waterlogged, and there's not much shelter if the weather turns.