Fort Stamford

The low stone ramparts of Fort Stamford sit just outside Plymouth, commanding views across the Sound where Sir Francis Drake supposedly played bowls before battling the Spanish Armada. It's a proper 16th-century artillery fort, built when England needed to defend its coastline from serious threats, and you can walk the grass-covered bastions and peer into the gun emplacements where cannons once pointed seaward.

What you get here depends on how deep you want to go. History buffs will spend a good hour working out the fort's layout and imagining the soldiers stationed here centuries ago. The views are decent enough - you're looking out towards the naval dockyard and across Plymouth Sound - but they're not quite cinematic. Families with restless kids might find twenty minutes is their limit unless the children are already hooked on Tudor history.

It's free to wander around, which is the main draw. No visitor centre, no café, no interpretive panels really spelling it out for you. Bring decent footwear because the ground gets boggy after rain. Summer's your best bet, obviously.

If you're staying at Dartmoor Domes, the fort makes an easy morning trip - it's barely six miles away - though you'd be daft to spend your whole day here. Combine it with a walk around the Hoe or a visit to the naval museum in Plymouth town centre. Fort Stamford works best as the warm-up act, not the main event.