Ebenezer Elliott

The cottage where Ebenezer Elliott lived and worked sits quietly on the outskirts of Sheffield, a proper pilgrimage for anyone interested in working-class poetry and radical 19th-century politics. Elliott was the Corn Law Rhymer - a self-taught poet who used verse to campaign against the taxes that kept bread prices sky-high for ordinary people. His house is modest, unpretentious, the kind of place that makes sense once you know his story.

You'll find his grave and memorial nearby, and the cottage itself gives a genuine feel for how a radical thinker of his era actually lived. It's not a grand manor or a museum with staff and gift shops - it's intimate, slightly rough around the edges, which rather suits a man who spent his life fighting for the poor. Poetry enthusiasts will get the most from a visit; historians of social movements too. Kids might find it a bit thin on activities, but if you're teaching them about working-class protest, it's worth the detour from Sheffield.

Allow an hour or so, longer if you want to read his verses on site. The nearest campsites - Fox Hagg Farm is just three miles away, or Wyming Brook Farm a bit further out - make decent bases for exploring the Peak District while fitting in a bit of literary history. Sheffield itself is fifteen minutes away if you need facilities or lunch. Check ahead for opening times; this isn't a major attraction with set hours, so a call to local tourist information beforehand saves a wasted trip.