Walton Abbey Remains

All that's left of Walton Abbey is a few stone foundations and earthworks scattered across a field just outside Beverley - which is either disappointing or rather moving, depending on your mood. This was once a proper medieval monastery, dissolved like so many others during Henry VIII's rampage through English religious life in the 1530s. The ruins don't photograph particularly well, truth be told. There's no dramatic arch or tower to frame - just low walls, humps in the ground, and your imagination doing most of the heavy lifting.

That said, it's a quiet spot for a wander if you're staying at one of the caravan parks nearby - Greengrass Park or Kingfisher Lakes are both within five miles. History buffs will find it worth twenty minutes of their time, especially if they've already done Beverley Minster in town and fancy something more contemplative. Families with young children might struggle to keep them engaged without visible walls to clamber on.

The site is free to access and open to the elements year-round, so check the weather before you head out. Spring's probably best - the field's less muddy and the light's kinder for photographs. Allow an hour if you're combining it with a longer walk through the East Yorkshire countryside, which is gently rolling and pleasant rather than dramatic. It's a nice footnote to a holiday based in Beverley rather than a destination in itself, but if you're curious about what monasteries left behind, it's worth the detour from your park.