Sandtun

The ruins at Sandtun, just outside Hythe, are what's left of a Roman fort that once guarded the Kent coast. It's a proper archaeologist's spot rather than a polished visitor attraction - you won't find a cafe or interpretive centre here, just earthworks and the knowledge that soldiers were stationed on this very ground nearly two thousand years ago.

What you're actually looking at are defensive ditches and ramparts, the bones of a settlement that mattered when Rome controlled Britain. The site itself is open ground, so you can walk the perimeter and get a sense of the scale. On a clear day, standing where the garrison once stood, you can almost picture the defensive logic of the placement.

This works best for anyone with a genuine interest in Roman Britain - casual visitors might find themselves standing about wondering what they're supposed to be looking at. It's a twenty-minute detour rather than a full afternoon's activity. No admission charge that I can establish, and no set hours either, which means you can turn up whenever.

If you're staying at Daleacres Caravan Club just down the road, or Port Lympne Safari Park nearby, Sandtun makes a reasonable leg-stretch between proper attractions. It pairs well with a broader Romney Marsh exploration - Hythe itself has decent shops and pubs, and you're minutes from the Kent coast proper. Worth the walk if Roman sites interest you. Skip it if you're after something with more obvious appeal.