Children's Well

Deep in the Staffordshire countryside near Ashbourne sits a well that's been drawing visitors for centuries - though not always for the reasons you'd expect. The Children's Well is a modest stone structure, the sort of thing you could walk past without noticing if you weren't looking for it, but it's rooted in genuine local folklore and old water-source history.

What you're looking at is essentially a restored well that once served the community, though it's the stories attached to it that give the place real character. Whether you're into Victorian-era curiosities or just fancying a gentle walk to find something a bit different, it's the kind of spot that rewards poking around. The surrounding landscape is proper walking country - gentle hills, quiet lanes, the sort of terrain that works well for families who don't mind a leisurely ramble rather than a structured attraction.

If you're based at one of the nearby holiday parks - Hartington Hills is only 5.5 miles away, or Bank House Farm if you're after something more casual - this makes an easy half-hour detour on a countryside walk rather than a destination in itself. Pair it with exploring the broader Derbyshire landscape around Ashbourne, which has considerably more to offer.

Truthfully, this is more about the walk and the local history than any dramatic visual payoff. But that's rather the point - sometimes the best discoveries aren't the loudest ones.