Banbury Stone

Standing alone in a Worcestershire field near Pershore, this ancient sarsen stone has watched over the landscape for millennia. The Banbury Stone is one of those proper English oddities - a massive glacial boulder that somehow ended up miles from where geology says it should be.

History buffs will find plenty to ponder here. Local legend claims it marks an ancient boundary, though archaeologists reckon it's simply an erratic stone left behind when the ice retreated. Either way, it's been here long enough to accumulate its fair share of folklore.

The walk from the nearest road is fairly straightforward across farmland, though you'll want decent boots if it's been wet. Takes about twenty minutes each way, and there's not much else to see once you've had your look and taken a photo. Kids might enjoy the treasure hunt aspect of finding it, but they'll get restless quickly once the novelty wears off.

For families staying at nearby spots like Bredon View Holiday Park Estate or Croft Farm Water Park, it makes for a pleasant leg-stretcher rather than a day out. The stone itself is impressive enough - roughly twice the height of a person - but you're really coming for the countryside walk and the slightly mystical atmosphere of stumbling across something so ancient in the middle of nowhere.