Dam North West

The dam sits just outside Wadhurst like something from a Victorian engineering textbook - solid red brick, proper Victorian, doing exactly what it was built for about 150 years ago. It's the sort of place you stumble across on a walk rather than deliberately hunt down, but once you're there you get why it matters. The water behind it is genuinely lovely, reflecting the Kentish hills, and there's a decent footpath along the top where you can see right across the valley.

This one appeals to walkers more than anyone else - the industrial history nuts will appreciate what it represents, but you're not walking into a visitor centre or exhibition space. It's refreshingly no-frills. A 20-minute detour if you're exploring the area, longer if you fancy following the water downstream or picking up one of the local trails from nearby. The smart move is staying at Hopgarden Glamping just 1.6 miles away - close enough that you can make this part of a wider afternoon walk without it feeling forced.

Wadhurst itself has decent pubs and a proper high street, which beats some of the smaller villages round here. The dam works best as part of a bigger day out rather than a destination in itself, but that's not a criticism - it's exactly the sort of authentic local spot that makes a park holiday proper rather than just another caravan break. Go when the light's good and the water's high.