Buckden Towers

The Tudor brick tower at Buckden rises out of the Cambridgeshire flatlands like a brick-built reminder that something properly significant happened here once. This is where Catherine of Aragon was held under house arrest in the 1530s - a grim fact that gives the place real weight when you're standing in front of it.

What you get is the tower itself, three storeys of red brick built by the Bishops of Lincoln in the 15th century. It's the sort of place where history enthusiasts will spend a solid hour working out the layout and imagining the rooms as they were. Families with older kids might manage 30 to 40 minutes before someone gets restless - it's interesting but not huge, and there aren't interactive displays to keep younger ones engaged.

The tower sits in the village of Buckden, just outside Huntingdon, and works well as a half-hour detour if you're already exploring the area. The flatness around here is deceptive - Grafham Water Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite is only 2.5 miles away, making this a proper easy addition to a wider Cambridgeshire trip. If you're based at one of the other sites - Wyton Lakes or Quiet Waters - it's still only a short drive.

Access details are thin on the ground (the site isn't heavily promoted), so ring ahead before you go. It's the kind of place that rewards a bit of planning rather than a casual turn-up.