Cock Pits

Cock Pits is an Iron Age hill fort tucked into the Warwickshire landscape near Daventry, and it's genuinely one of those places where you can stand on the ramparts and feel the weight of two thousand years pressing down on you. The site consists of two concentric ditches with substantial earthworks - nothing flashy, but properly impressive once you realise what you're looking at. The interior is relatively flat, which would have been where the settlement actually happened, and the defensive lines are still sharp enough to make you understand why someone picked this spot. You can walk the perimeter in under an hour, though lingering on the higher ground gives you proper views across the surrounding countryside.

It's brilliant for history types with a bit of patience, less so for young children who might find it a bit abstract - there's no visitor centre or interpretation boards that I could see, so you really need to know what you're looking at. Best to visit in late spring or early autumn when the grass is manageable and the light is halfway decent for photography.

The site is accessible enough if you're staying at any of the local campsites - EWE Glamping is just 2.7 miles away, making it a natural morning or afternoon excursion without much faffing about. Free access as far as I could tell, though it's worth checking locally since these smaller archaeological sites don't always have formal arrangements. Bring good boots if there's been recent rain.