Drake Monument

The Drake Monument sits on the Hoe in Plymouth, a rather commanding stone pillar that marks where Sir Francis Drake supposedly played bowls before taking on the Spanish Armada in 1588. It's not exactly a sprawling attraction - you're looking at a statue and some inscribed stonework - but the location itself is what makes it worth your time.

Standing here, you get proper views across Plymouth Sound and the Tamar estuary. On a clear day, you can see right across to Cornwall. The monument marks a genuinely pivotal moment in English history, which gives the whole spot a certain weight to it, even if the statue itself is fairly modest by memorial standards.

Historians and anyone interested in Tudor England will appreciate the significance. Kids will get bored within minutes unless you make it a longer walk across the Hoe itself - there's plenty of green space to run around on. The real appeal is combining this with a stroll around Plymouth's waterfront, poking into the old quarter, or heading to the nearby Barbican and Sutton Harbour.

It's free, obviously, and you can spend as little as ten minutes here or make it part of a longer afternoon exploring Plymouth's maritime heritage. If you're staying at Dartmoor Domes, it's about six miles south - well worth the drive for a morning or afternoon exploring the city. The Hoe is also excellent for families, with open spaces and coastal views that justify the trip beyond the monument itself.