Gannock Castle

The earthworks at Gannock Castle rise unexpectedly from flat Cambridgeshire countryside, a jumble of grass-covered banks and ditches that demands a bit of interpretation to appreciate. What you're looking at are the remains of a motte-and-bailey fortress, built sometime after the Norman Conquest, though the precise dates remain frustratingly vague. The site itself is modest - no standing stones, no dramatic ruins - which means it rewards visitors who enjoy reading the landscape and imagining what stood here nine centuries ago.

It's the sort of place that will satisfy history types and anyone keen on archaeology, though families with young children might find it underwhelming after ten minutes. The walk around the earthworks takes perhaps half an hour if you're methodical, longer if you're trying to work out which bump corresponds to which structure.

Access appears straightforward enough from St. Neots - the nearest town is only a few miles south - though it's worth checking locally what the current state of the site is, as these archaeological spots sometimes get overgrown or access changes. There's no admission charge that I'm aware of, which at least removes any financial sting from a speculative visit.

If you're based at Cambridgeshire Lakes or the St. Neots Camping and Caravanning Club Site, Gannock Castle makes for a decent afternoon detour during a park holiday, particularly if you're building in other heritage visits across the region. Don't expect Warwick or Arundel - but if you're walking distance and curious about Norman settlement patterns, the effort is minimal.