Bishop's Waltham Palace

The ruins of a medieval palace sit quietly in Bishop's Waltham, just outside Southampton, and they're genuinely worth a detour if you're camping in the area. What remains is mostly earthworks and brick fragments - the palace was built in the 12th century and lived through centuries of royal visits before falling into disrepair after the English Civil War. You get a sense of the scale from what's left: the grounds are substantial, and on a clear day you can pick out where the great hall once stood.

This is really for history types rather than a rainy-day activity. Families with young kids might find it underwhelming after twenty minutes - there's no climbing structure or play facilities, just open space and interpretive boards. Walkers, though, will appreciate the setting and the walk through the village itself, which has proper character.

Admission appears to be free, and you can wander the site any time. Allow an hour if you're reading the information boards properly, half that if you're just nosing around. It pairs well with a week at one of the nearby glamping sites like Beechen Glamping just down the road, or the caravan spots at Rookesbury Park - gives you something local to tick off without driving far. The palace is genuinely interesting if you care about medieval England, but don't expect anything flashy. It's the sort of place that's better for what you imagine once stood here than what you actually see.