Beckford's Tower and Museum

William Beckford was properly bonkers, and his tower proves it. This Somerset folly sits on Lansdown Hill just outside Bath, a three-storey Regency confection that Beckford built in the early 1800s as a retreat for his vast book collection and, frankly, to avoid society's judgement. Inside, the spiral staircase takes you up through narrow passages lined with his actual library - rare volumes crammed onto shelves, some so tight you wonder how anyone ever retrieved them.

The tower itself is the draw. You climb to the top and Bath spreads below you like something from a watercolour. On a clear day the views stretch for miles across the Somerset countryside. The museum downstairs covers Beckford's life - he was wealthy, eccentric, travelled extensively across Europe, and had opinions about everything. Not everyone finds him thrilling, mind you. Some visitors reckon an hour covers it comfortably; others with a proper interest in Regency eccentrics could easily spend longer.

It's brilliant for keen readers and anyone fascinated by how the very rich occupied themselves before Netflix existed. Kids might find the tight spaces fun initially, but the reading lists pinned about could lose them fast. Walkers often tack it onto a Lansdown Hill ramble - the approach alone justifies the trip.

Bath Mill Lodge Retreat and Campwell Farm sit within easy striking distance, making this a sensible half-day outing from either base. Go when the weather's decent - there's no point climbing to that view in solid cloud cover.