Newark Castle and Gardens

The castle dominates Newark's skyline like it owns the place - and for nearly a thousand years, it has. What remains today is largely the impressive gatehouse and curtain walls, standing guard over the River Trent as they have since the 12th century. You're looking at proper medieval architecture, the kind that stops you mid-walk and makes you actually think about what happened here.

The grounds are free to wander, and that's the real draw. The gardens are open and spacious, giving you room to actually breathe and move around the ruins without feeling herded. Historians will lose themselves tracing the castle's role in the English Civil War - it held out for the Royalists and got thoroughly battered for its loyalty. But you don't need to be a buff to appreciate standing where soldiers once stood. Kids won't spend hours here, to be honest. Maybe forty minutes to an hour if you're thorough, less if they're not the exploration type.

It's a natural stop if you're based at one of the caravan parks nearby - BrackenXcapes is only 3.6 miles out, or any of the glamping spots scattered around the area at 5 to 5.6 miles. Newark itself is small enough that you can tick off the castle and a quick look around town in a morning. The River Trent runs alongside, which is pleasant enough for a walk after you've done the ruins. Go early to avoid any crowds, not that there are usually many.