Eagle & Child Inn

The Eagle and Child in Bury isn't some Instagram-bait gastropub, though the beer's decent enough. This is the place where Tolkien and C.S. Lewis actually sat and thrashed out ideas for their fantasy worlds - proper literary history, the kind that makes the hair on your neck stand up if you're remotely into that sort of thing. You can still order a pint in the same room where they argued about hobbits and Narnia. The pub itself is honest and unpretentious - wooden beams, dark corners, nothing fancy - which somehow makes it feel more real than if they'd tarted it up for tourists.

It's worth the trip if you're a devoted fan, though I won't pretend it's a full day's outing. Spend an hour nursing a drink, soak in the atmosphere, read the plaques. Kids might find it a bit dull unless they're already obsessed with the books - there's no interactive museum bit, just a pub being a pub. History types and literature enthusiasts will get far more from it than casual visitors.

From Dearden Wood caravan park, you're only ten minutes' drive away, making it an easy half-day jaunt while basing yourself in the area. Pair it with a walk around Burrs Country Park nearby if the weather's decent - that'll give you a proper day out rather than a quick literary pilgrimage. No admission charge, naturally - you just buy a drink like anyone else.