Round Table Museum

King Arthur's Round Table hangs on the wall of Winchester's Great Hall, and honestly, standing in front of it is a bit of a jolt. This isn't some dusty relic locked behind glass - it's a 700-year-old oak table, painted with Tudor roses and the names of knights arranged in a circle, hanging there in a medieval hall that's survived everything from civil wars to bombing raids.

It's free to see, which is the best part. You walk into the Great Hall - itself worth twenty minutes just to absorb the scale of it - and there it is. The table measures eighteen feet across. What strikes you most is how earnest it all is: the knights are painted with their heraldic arms, and somewhere along the way, someone decided King Arthur should sit at the top. Historians reckon it was made sometime in the 1200s, probably as propaganda, but that doesn't make it any less extraordinary to stand beneath.

You'll want a good hour here if you're keen on medieval history, less if you're just popping in for the table itself. Families with children who know their Arthurian legends get the most from it - younger kids might find twenty minutes enough. Winter's the best time, when Winchester's less rammed with day-trippers.

Camped nearby? Holden Farm Camping is five minutes away and has decent facilities. Hookpit Farm's closer at three and a half miles, and genuinely well-reviewed. Winchester itself is where you're based, and the Great Hall sits right in the town centre, so combine this with the cathedral and high street easily enough.