Ellesmere Sculpture Trail

Walk around Ellesmere and you'll stumble across sculptures dotted about the place - proper unexpected art installations that have nothing to do with the lake itself. The trail takes you through the town and out towards the water, where local and visiting artists have left their mark on benches, green spaces and odd corners. Some pieces are abstract metal work, others are more figurative. It's the sort of thing you don't rush through in an afternoon - you'd be better off meandering around, spotting them as you go rather than ticking boxes.

This works brilliantly if you're staying at one of the nearby parks like Archers' Meadow Glamping or Colemere Caravan Park. Both are within walking distance, so you can make the sculpture trail part of a lazy morning or evening stroll around town. The trail's free, obviously, since they're just sat there in public spaces. Allow an hour or so if you're actually looking for them all, longer if you're the type who reads the plaques and thinks about what the artist was on about.

Historically minded visitors and artists will get more from it than, say, young kids who might find it a bit thin for entertainment. But for walkers and folk who appreciate a bit of culture mixed into their holiday, it's worth the detour. Ellesmere itself has the lake and a decent high street with cafes - combine the sculpture trail with a walk around the water and you've got a proper morning sorted.