Fiddle Pole (Monkey Pole)

An old wooden pole sticks up out of the ground just outside Southwold, and honestly, it's one of those places that makes you go 'well, that's it then' in about ninety seconds. The Fiddle Pole - also called the Monkey Pole locally - is a historic marker, though what exactly it marked has been lost to time. There's no signage, no visitors' centre, no gift shop. Just the pole itself, weathered and solitary, standing as a quirky reminder that not everything needs to be packaged up for tourists.

You'll want to visit if you're the sort who collects oddball heritage sites and enjoys the hunt for things that aren't plastered across Instagram. It's free, obviously. Time-wise, you're looking at maybe ten minutes unless you're the type to sit and ponder its mysteries for longer. Bring a camera if you're documenting local curiosities; bring nothing else.

This won't be the centrepiece of a holiday, but if you're staying at Pigs in Blankets or Cliff House Holiday Park nearby, it's a decent excuse for a short walk and a bit of local history chat. Southwold itself is the proper draw - the beach, the pier, the lighthouse. The Fiddle Pole is the sort of thing you stumble upon while exploring the town's edges, not something you plan your whole trip around. That said, there's something rather appealing about a place that doesn't try too hard. It's authentically low-key.