Clowntown

There's a clown's head the size of a small house staring out from a roadside in Hertfordshire, and yes, it's as gloriously odd as it sounds. Clowntown is one of those wonderfully British curiosities that exists mainly because someone decided the world needed a giant fibreglass clown sculpture, and frankly, who's going to argue with that?

It's not a theme park or an attraction with rides and queues - it's simply a landmark, a photo stop, the sort of thing you'd spot while driving through and think "I'm having that." The clown's enormous grin and exaggerated features have made it a cult fixture for road-trippers and Instagram enthusiasts since the 1970s. You can pull over, take your pictures, and be on your way within ten minutes, which is precisely the right amount of time for something like this.

Located east of London, it works brilliantly as a novelty break between other Hertfordshire attractions if you're staying at Elstree Park or Lee Valley. It's free, requires no planning, and won't disappoint anyone with a sense of humour about British eccentricity.

Families with younger kids who get a kick out of the surreal will enjoy the absurdity. Older teenagers might find it more amusing as a "did that just happen" moment. It's the sort of stop that makes a caravan holiday memorable for all the wrong reasons - and that's exactly the point. Just don't expect facilities or anything beyond the clown itself.