- The Menai Bridge

Thomas Telford's engineering masterpiece stretches across the Menai Strait like something from another century - and that's the entire point. The suspension bridge, completed in 1826, still looks impossibly graceful for something so structurally ambitious. You cross it by car or on foot, and there's a genuine thrill to walking beneath those iron chains, watching the water far below.

The bridge itself is free to use - you're simply driving or strolling across, really. What makes it worth the detour is the view from the pedestrian footpath. On a clear day, Snowdonia sits on the horizon to the southeast, and you get a proper sense of why Telford's solution was so needed here. The strait's too wide and deep to ford, too narrow not to connect. Stop at the small car park on the Anglesey side and walk back onto the bridge for photographs. Ten minutes is enough, though many linger longer.

Historically minded visitors will find this compelling - it's a genuine turning point in British engineering, and the bridge still carries traffic much as it has for two centuries. Families with young children might find the walk a bit underwhelming after the initial excitement; it's not a playground. Walkers heading toward Pentraeth or exploring Anglesey's coastal paths should definitely include this.

If you're based at one of the nearby caravan parks - Plas Coch or Taihirion Farm are both reasonably close - the bridge makes a good morning stop before heading to the beaches. Go early to avoid traffic.