Long Meg and her Daughters

Standing in a field near Carlisle, Long Meg and her Daughters is a Bronze Age stone circle that's been drawing people out here for nearly 4,000 years. The main event is Long Meg herself - a towering red sandstone slab that leans at an angle you'd swear shouldn't be structurally sound - surrounded by around 60 smaller stones arranged in a rough circle. It's genuinely atmospheric, especially if you catch it on an overcast afternoon when the light plays tricks on the old rock.

The site is free to visit and there's no charge for parking nearby, though there aren't facilities as such - just a field and the stones. Allow an hour to wander round, take photos, and actually absorb the scale of what ancient people were doing here. Archaeologists reckon Long Meg was carved with a spiral design (though it's worn now) and was probably a ceremonial or burial site.

Walkers and archaeology enthusiasts will find it genuinely interesting. Kids might need a bit of coaxing unless they're into stone circles - after 20 minutes they'll have seen the main thing. The landscape around here is fairly bleak, which actually adds to the mood rather than detracting from it.

If you're based at High Hall Farm Campsite nearby, this is absolutely worth the short drive. Couple it with a walk around Carlisle or a visit to Hadrian's Wall if you're spending longer in the area. Best to go early morning or late afternoon when you won't have coachloads turning up.