Chew Green

The Roman fort at Chew Green sits high on the Cheviot ridge, and getting there is half the point. You're looking at a proper walk from the valley floor - nothing terrifying, but enough to make you work for it. Once you reach the site near Otterburn, the remains tell the story of a garrison that watched over one of the empire's trickiest frontier posts, back when Rome was still trying to tighten its grip on what would become Scotland.

Walkers will get far more from this than casual visitors. There's no visitor centre, no plaques explaining every ditch and rampart - you arrive at a remote hilltop where the archaeology is genuine and unvarnished. The fort's layout is still readable in the grass if you know what to look for: the ditches, the parade ground, the position chosen to command the landscape. It's genuinely moving, actually, once you understand what you're seeing.

This is absolutely not a quick tick-box stop. Allow a solid half-day minimum if you're coming from Border Forest Holiday Park down the valley. The walk itself takes time, and you'll want to spend proper time up there once you've earned it. Bring a map and weather-appropriate kit - exposure is real on the ridge. Go in clear conditions; cloud does nothing for your appreciation.

For historians and serious walkers, utterly worthwhile. For families with young children or anyone after instant gratification, probably a skip.