Bridgnorth Castle

The ruins perch on a sandstone cliff overlooking Bridgnorth's High Street - you can't miss them. What's left of Bridgnorth Castle amounts to a single Norman tower, seriously leaning to one side after a bombardment during the Civil War. It's the Tower of Bridgnorth, standing at about 17 metres tall, and it's genuinely impressive in its defiance of gravity.

You can walk up close for free, which is the main appeal. There's not much to actually do inside unless you fancy climbing the internal stairs - the views over the River Severn and the town below are solid, mind you, but it's barely a ten-minute stop unless you're keen on castle history. Families with young kids might get bored quickly, but anyone interested in Civil War sites or just after a brief wander with decent photo opportunities will find it worth the trip.

Best thing about it? The location forces you into Bridgnorth itself. The town's genuinely worth a proper explore - the High Street drops steeply down to the riverside, there's a funicular railway, and plenty of decent cafes. If you're staying at Stanmore Hall Touring Park or one of the other sites nearby, you're maybe twenty minutes away, so slot it in as part of a wider day out rather than a destination in itself.

Go midweek if you can. Weekends get busy with people grabbing the same Instagram angle.