Heaton Hall Lions

The Lions at Heaton Hall in Bury are proper Victorian sculpture work - a pair of stone beasts that have been guarding the grounds since the hall was built. You can't miss them as you arrive; they're the kind of detail that makes you pause and actually look, rather than just walking straight past.

Heaton Hall itself is a Georgian mansion set in decent parkland, and these lions form part of what was clearly a grander entrance scheme. They're well-executed pieces of craftsmanship, the sort of thing that tells you someone had money and wanted everyone to know it. The hall's been through various uses over the years - it's now a museum - and the lions have outlasted most of the original purpose of the place.

If you're visiting with kids, they'll get a kick out of spotting them and climbing around the grounds, but the lions themselves won't hold anyone's attention for more than a few minutes. History types will appreciate them as part of the wider estate story. Walkers doing the park circuit find them a decent landmark and photo stop.

It's free to view them from outside, though accessing the hall itself has its own arrangements worth checking locally in Bury. Allow maybe ten minutes unless you're also doing the full hall tour. The nearby Burrs Country Park Caravan and Motorhome Club site is five miles away - a comfortable base if you're combining this with other Lancashire attractions.