Dunster Butter Cross

The Butter Cross sits in the middle of Dunster's high street like a stone punctuation mark in the village's sentence. It's a Grade II listed structure from the 15th century, all weathered stone and stubby columns, originally built as a covered market where dairy traders flogged their wares. These days it's just there - solid, unmoved by centuries - and honestly, that's rather the point.

You'll spend five minutes here, ten if you're genuinely curious about the inscriptions. Kids won't find much to do except clamber on it (don't), but walkers doing the Dunster circuit will appreciate it as a focal point. The real appeal is the context - it anchors you in a proper medieval village that feels lived-in rather than twee, with the castle looming up the hill behind and the high street sloping down towards the parish church.

It's free, it's always accessible being outdoors, and it costs nothing to stand and examine the craftsmanship. Visit in shoulder months when Minehead's holiday parks - Butlins is just 1.4 miles away, or the Caravan Club site equally close - won't be rammed with families. Better still, combine it with a walk up to Dunster Castle or down to the beach at Minehead itself, a short drive away. The Butter Cross won't change your life, but it's the kind of overlooked detail that makes a village holiday worth staying for rather than just driving through.