Air crash memorial

Out on the flat Cambridgeshire fens near March stands a memorial that stops you cold. It marks where an American B-17 bomber crashed during World War II, killing everyone on board. There's nothing flashy about it - just a simple stone or marker in a quiet spot - but that's rather the point.

You won't spend hours here. Maybe twenty minutes if you're thoughtful about it, longer if you've got a connection to the story. It's the kind of place that hits differently once you know why it's there. The surrounding fenland is dead flat and open, which somehow makes the memorial feel even more isolated, more poignant.

Historians and anyone interested in the American presence in wartime Britain will find it worth the detour. Families with older kids might appreciate the chance to talk about what the war actually meant for the people involved. Younger children might not grasp the significance.

Access and admission details aren't documented here, so you'll want to check locally in March before you visit - it may be freely accessible, or there could be restrictions. The fens around it are good walking country if you've got the weather for it, though it's relentlessly flat.

If you're staying at Knightsbridge Caravan and Marina Park just five miles away, this is easily fitted into a morning. It works best as part of a broader look at the area's wartime heritage rather than a standalone trip.