The Riddy

The Riddy is a curious earthwork that rises abruptly from the flat Cambridgeshire landscape near Sandy - the sort of thing that makes you stop the car and wonder what on earth you're looking at. It's a low, elongated mound, more bump than hill really, but it commands attention precisely because everything else around here is dead flat. Locals reckon it dates back centuries, though nobody's entirely sure what it was built for - defensive position, ancient burial site, or just a heap that got left behind. The views across the fens aren't dramatic, but there's something compelling about standing on high ground where high ground shouldn't exist.

Walkers will find it worth a quick detour if you're already in the area, though it's not the sort of place that'll consume an afternoon. Ten minutes to have a poke around, take a photo, and move on. History types might find themselves wondering about its origins for longer - the mystery of it is rather the point. Kids will get bored fast unless they're the sort who enjoy spotting earthworks on the landscape.

It's free, naturally, and accessible year-round. If you're staying at Cambridgeshire Lakes just down the road, it's a decent leg-stretch during a park holiday - break up the time by the water with a walk out to see something genuinely odd. The real appeal is that it feels forgotten, neither signposted nor tourist-trap. That's precisely why it's worth the visit.