Burial Mound

You won't find much fanfare around this one, just an earthwork rising from the Northamptonshire countryside between Milton Keynes and the Grand Union Canal. It's a Bronze Age burial mound - the real deal, thousands of years old, though what you're looking at now is essentially a grassy bump rather than anything architecturally showy. The appeal is straightforward: if you're into archaeology or fancy a spot of historical contemplation, it's a proper walk through proper countryside. Kids under ten will probably get bored after five minutes. Walkers, though, tend to appreciate it as a reason to explore the footpaths around here rather than as a destination in itself. The nearest proper base is Milton Keynes, only a short drive away. Cosgrove Park sits just 1.1 miles off, making it dead convenient if you're camping and fancy a morning ramble with some actual substance to it. There's no entrance fee - it's out in the open - and you can turn up whenever you like. Allow thirty minutes if you're being thorough, ten if you're just passing through. Weather matters more than you'd think; it's better visited in drier months when the ground isn't a mud bath and the views across to the canal aren't obscured. Go if you're already in the area and keen on Bronze Age sites. Don't go out of your way specially for it.