Roald Dahl Memorial

The Roald Dahl Memorial sits in the churchyard of Great Missenden, a tiny village between Tring and Amersham that the author called home for 36 years. It's not flashy - just a modest stone in the grass marking where this utterly brilliant writer is buried. For anyone who grew up with his books, standing there is genuinely moving.

Great Missenden itself feels like it stepped straight out of a Dahl story. The village high street is all independent cafes and bookshops, and locals still point out the locations that inspired Matilda and The Fantastic Mr Fox. The memorial itself won't take you long - twenty minutes maximum - but it's the sort of place that deserves a proper visit rather than a tick-box dash.

You can reach it on foot from the town centre, though the churchyard isn't immediately obvious from the road. Check before you go that visiting hours suit you, as churches have their own rhythms. Kids who've read his books will find it meaningful; younger children might not get the significance, to be honest. It works best paired with lunch at one of the village's decent spots, or combined with a walk through the surrounding Chiltern hills.

Staying at nearby Lights Camera Glamping puts you within easy reach. It's free to visit the churchyard, and that's the proper way to pay your respects to Dahl - no gift shop, no fuss. Just a man who changed children's literature, resting where he belonged.