Bowthorpe Oak

You're standing in front of something genuinely ancient - an oak tree that's been doing its thing since medieval times. The Bowthorpe Oak, near Stamford, is absolutely vast: a gnarled, hollow trunk that's somehow still alive and putting on leaves each spring. It's the sort of thing that makes you feel small.

The tree sits on its own bit of land, accessible and free to wander round. You can get right up close, run your hand along the bark - bark that's probably older than most English towns. It doesn't take long to see, maybe half an hour if you're just paying respects, longer if you're the type who likes to sit nearby and think about everything that's happened since 1300-odd. Families with kids often enjoy it as a bit of a pilgrimage; there's something about massive, ancient things that genuinely interests children.

Stamford itself is proper lovely - all honey-coloured stone and Georgian architecture - so you could easily tack this onto a wider Lincolnshire visit. If you're staying at Stamford Meadows Glamping, the oak is close enough for a morning outing. The landscape around here is flat and unremarkable for the most part, so what you're really coming for is the tree itself and the weight of time it represents. Not a dramatic spot, but a memorable one. Worth the short trip from Stamford.