Bellaghy Bawn

The earthworks at Bellaghy are what remain of a 17th-century fortified house, and they're honestly more interesting than you'd expect from a pile of overgrown banks and ditches. Built around 1619, the Bawn - that's the defensive wall surrounding the main house - sits in open countryside near Antrim, and you can still make out the rectangular outline if you walk the perimeter. It's the kind of place that rewards a bit of imagination. Stand in the centre and you can picture the original stone-built plantation house that once commanded this spot, its walls now long gone but the defensive earthwork soldiers on.

Walkers will get the most from this one. There's no visitor centre, no interpretation boards, just the archaeology itself and the surrounding landscape - which is actually rather pleasant, with decent views across the Lough Beg wetlands. Allow 20-30 minutes if you're just having a look around; longer if you're the type to sit and sketch or photograph the banks. It's free to access and open year-round, though wet weather will make the ground boggy underfoot.

If you're staying at one of the glamping sites nearby - Lough Beg Glamping is barely two miles away - this makes a worthwhile morning detour before heading elsewhere. It won't fill a day, but it's a proper bit of local history without the crowds, and the setting by Lough Beg itself is well worth the short drive from Antrim town.