Happy Hounds of Newport Ltd

The Happy Hounds statue in Newport is one of those roadside oddities that stops you dead. Three enormous bronze dogs - ears up, tails raised - stand in cheerful defiance of the Staffordshire landscape near Shifnal. It's genuinely daft in the best possible way, the sort of thing that makes you do a double-take and immediately reach for your phone.

What you're looking at is essentially public art, free to view and photograph whenever you fancy. There's no museum attached, no visitor centre - just the dogs themselves, proud and permanent. You can walk right up to them, let the kids climb about (they're sturdy enough), and spend a good ten minutes marvelling at the sheer confidence of it all. On a clear day it's a proper photo opportunity.

Families with young children will get a real kick out of it - no waiting about, no entrance fees, and the dogs have genuine character. Walkers passing through the area often make a detour here, though it's honestly more of a pit stop than a destination in itself. Fifteen minutes, tops, unless you're the sort who likes to sit about and ponder public sculpture.

If you're based at High Onn Holiday Park or Copper Beech Glamping nearby, it's worth a short drive out. Pair it with a proper walk around Shifnal itself, or make it part of a wider explore of the Shropshire borders. The dogs won't take long, but they'll definitely raise a smile.