Gruffalo statue

The Gruffalo statue sits in Symonds Yat-like woodland near Milton Keynes, a bit surreal to stumble upon if you're not expecting it. It's a bronze sculpture of Julia Donaldson's famous monster, cast in that unmistakable hunched pose, and it's become something of a pilgrimage point for families doing the rounds of Northamptonshire's walking trails.

What you get is a decent photo opportunity and a chance to let kids touch the nose - worn smooth by thousands of small hands - but I'll be honest, you're not looking at a vast installation here. It's more a marker than a destination in itself. Most families park up, wander the surrounding woodland for twenty minutes, snap their pictures, and move on. It works brilliantly if you're already walking the area, less so if you're driving specially.

The real win is pairing it with a proper day outdoors. The Home Farm CL and Kirkely Meadows are both within easy striking distance, so you could base yourself at either and work the local footpaths methodically. The statue becomes a waypoint rather than the main event - which actually suits it better than being treated like a standalone attraction.

Free to visit, obviously. Go early on weekends to avoid school groups. Works best for under-eights who still get genuinely excited about seeing a storybook character in the flesh, as it were. Older kids and adults might find it a bit thin unless you're proper Gruffalo devotees.