Croydon Airport Memorial

The concrete apron where pioneering aircraft once took off is long gone, but Croydon Airport Memorial stands as a proper tribute to one of Britain's most important aviation sites. Between the wars, this was where Imperial Airways launched long-haul routes to India and Africa - the Heathrow of its day. Now you're looking at a modest but affecting memorial that captures something of that golden age of flying.

It's not a sprawling museum with interactive exhibits and a gift shop. This is more intimate - a chance to pause and reflect on the men and women who made aviation history from a Surrey airfield. The memorial itself is thoughtfully done, and if you're into early aviation or the social history of the 1920s and 30s, you'll find it genuinely moving. Kids might spend twenty minutes here max, unless they're proper plane enthusiasts.

The real draw is context. Croydon's right between Redhill and the broader Southeast, making it easy to slot into a wider park holiday. Alderstead Heath Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite is only five miles away, and Milberry Green Meadows - which gets full marks from visitors - is barely further. Combine this with a walk round the remaining landscape and you've got a half-morning well spent. Admission appears to be free, which feels right for something this personal and locally rooted. It's not flashy, but it deserves your time if aviation history speaks to you.