Ely North Junction

The railway junction at Ely isn't your typical tourist draw, but that's precisely why it's worth a stop if you're pottering around Cambridgeshire. Head east from the cathedral city and you'll find yourself at a working rail intersection where the line splits - it's the sort of place that genuinely interests train enthusiasts and transport history buffs, though most casual visitors will find twenty minutes is enough.

What you're actually looking at is Victorian engineering at a modest scale. The junction itself is functional rather than flashy, but the setting among flat Cambridgeshire farmland gives it a certain character. If you've got a particular interest in how Britain's rail network was stitched together, or you're accompanying someone who does, it's worth the detour from Ely town centre. Kids might enjoy spotting passing trains if you time it right, though there's nowhere official to stand and watch, which does limit the appeal.

The location works well if you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Hatters Meadows and Heatherbield Lodge are both close by and highly rated, making it an easy morning walk or cycle from your caravan. Spring and summer are best for visibility and that flat-light photography that makes East Anglian landscapes somehow interesting. Don't expect facilities or interpretation boards. This is the real deal - a working junction, not a visitor attraction dressed up as one. Honest, unglamorous, and probably only for those who genuinely care about how trains fit together.