Crane Castle

You'll find the ruins of Crane Castle scattered across a windswept headland just outside Hayle, and frankly, it's more atmospheric than grand. This 15th-century fortification was built to guard the entrance to Hayle Harbour during a time when French raiders were a genuine threat, and walking around the crumbling stone walls, you can almost feel that old anxiety lingering in the salt air.

What remains is essentially a shell - the outer walls and a few internal structures give you enough to piece together how it once worked, but don't expect a fully restored showpiece. That's actually part of its appeal. There's no visitor centre, no café, no roped-off zones. You get the castle essentially as the land has left it, which appeals to history types and photographers who fancy something more raw than the polished attractions inland.

The walk to reach it is straightforward enough and the views back towards Hayle are decent, though the headland gets properly exposed when the Atlantic wind's up. Allow 45 minutes to an hour if you're thorough, less if you're just grabbing a few photos. It's free to visit - Historic England maintains the site but there's no admission charge.

For a caravan or glamping holiday based at one of the nearby parks like Higher Trevaskis or Lanyon, this makes a solid morning detour. Pair it with a walk along Hayle's beaches or a browse through the seafront galleries, and you've got a proper half-day sorted. It won't captivate young kids for long, but if you've got teenagers interested in medieval warfare, they'll find it worthwhile.