Devil's Arrows

Three massive standing stones rise from a field just outside Boroughbridge, a few miles south of Thirsk, and they've been commanding attention for nearly 4,000 years. The Devil's Arrows are Bronze Age monuments - roughly 22 feet tall, carved from millstone grit, and arranged in a rough north-south line across open countryside. Legend has it the Devil hurled them here to dam the River Ure, which is either impressive aim or a poor understanding of geology, depending on your view.

You can walk right up to them, which is the whole point. They're free to access, standing in the open with no visitor centre or admission booth, so you can turn up whenever you fancy. The site takes about 20 minutes to properly look around unless you're the sort to sit and sketch them or spend time photographing from different angles. The landscape itself is fairly unremarkable - farmland, no dramatic backdrop - so the stones themselves carry all the presence.

History buffs will find them worth the detour; they're genuinely old and properly mysterious. Families with young kids might find the novelty wears thin fairly quickly, though climbing on and around them keeps some entertained. Walkers heading through North Yorkshire will get more from them as part of a longer route than as a standalone visit.

If you're basing yourself at Riverside Meadows or the Knaresborough Motorhome Club site, both within 6 miles, it's a straightforward morning stop. Not a reason to plan your entire park holiday around, but worth the 20-minute drive if you're staying nearby.