National Trust - Hardy Monument

You'll spot this granite tower long before you reach it - a chunky Victorian needle poking out of the Dorset hills near Waddon. It's the Hardy Monument, built in 1844 to honour Admiral Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, Nelson's flag captain aboard the Victory. Fair bit of local pride wrapped up in that stone.

The walk up is proper breezy and takes about twenty minutes from the car park. The views across the Weymouth Bay and the surrounding countryside are genuinely worth the climb - on a clear day you can see for miles. It's one of those spots where the effort matches the reward. The monument itself is just a tower - you can't go inside - but it's a solid focal point for a moorland ramble, and the National Trust keeps the grounds well maintained.

History buffs will appreciate the connection to Nelson and the Napoleonic Wars. Families with decent walkers (eight or nine upwards) will find it rewarding. The real draw is the walk itself rather than the destination, if we're honest. Allow an hour return, longer if you fancy exploring the surrounding heath.

If you're based at one of the nearby parks - Buckland Campsite or Bagwell Farm Touring Park are both within four miles - it makes a cracking half-morning outing. Free to visit, naturally, being National Trust land. Best in summer when the weather cooperates and you can actually see something from the top.