North Cockerington Hall

The earthworks at North Cockerington are what's left of a medieval settlement that's been slowly reclaimed by Lincolnshire soil for the best part of 800 years. You won't find dramatic ruins or reconstructed buildings here - it's more atmospheric than that. What you get instead are undulating banks and ditches across open grassland that, if you know what you're looking at, tell the story of how people lived and farmed in these parts during the medieval period.

It's a proper walker's spot rather than a destination where you'd spend hours. Most people allow twenty minutes to half an hour to wander the site and take in the layout. The appeal is in the quiet contemplation of it all - standing there working out where the houses might have been, where animals were kept, how the village was organised. History types will find it rewarding; families with young children might find it a bit underwhelming unless they're already interested in archaeology.

Based near Louth, it works well as a side trip if you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks - Stewton Stars Hideaway is just a couple of miles away, or push a bit further to Lakeside Park or Parkdean Resorts Sunnydale. It's the sort of place that costs nothing to visit and rewards a bit of research beforehand. Check locally before you go, as access details aren't always clear, but the walk itself is straightforward enough across farmland.