Donnington Castle

The gatehouse still stands after more than 600 years, which feels rather remarkable when you're actually standing in front of it. Donnington Castle, just outside Thatcham, is one of those English ruins that doesn't shout for attention but rewards anyone curious enough to wander in. What you get is the remains of a 14th-century fortress - mostly earthworks and that impressive twin-towered gatehouse, which survived the English Civil War siege that flattened most of the rest. The setting matters as much as the stones themselves. You're walking through proper countryside, with views across the Berkshire downs, and it's the sort of place where you can actually imagine soldiers and nobles moving about centuries ago, rather than just staring at a few picked-clean walls.

It's free to access, no entry fees, and you can spend anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour depending on how much you want to poke around the earthworks and read the interpretation boards. Families with older kids do well here - there's space to run about, and the gatehouse gives you something solid to climb up and photograph. Walkers particularly benefit, as it sits nicely on a footpath network. You won't need to spend a whole afternoon here, but it makes an excellent stop if you're touring the area.

Based near Thatcham, you've got several solid caravan options within a few miles. Rhodeside and Hollington Park both score top marks, while Cherry Bird Country Park and Bishops Green Farm offer good alternatives. Stay at any of them and you can visit Donnington as a half-day excursion without faffing about.