Lune Aqueduct

Standing on the bridge at Carnforth, you're looking at one of those engineering achievements that actually stops you in your tracks. The Lune Aqueduct carries the Lancaster Canal 600 feet across the River Lune, and it's a proper bit of Victorian ingenuity - built in 1797 to solve what should have been an impossible problem. The structure itself is striking: five arches spanning the valley, with the water channel running along the top like someone balanced a canal on stilts.

Walking across it is the thing most people do, and fair play - the views down to the river and out across the Lune Gorge are excellent. The surrounding woodland adds to it, makes it feel like you're somewhere properly out in the landscape rather than just gawping at old brickwork. It's about 30 minutes for a decent walk around here, maybe longer if you potter downstream a bit.

History buffs will appreciate what it represents - that moment when Victorians decided no geography was going to stop their canals. Families with kids of eight or nine upwards find it interesting enough, though once you've crossed it and looked at it, that's largely the visit done. The free admission is a genuine bonus. If you're staying at Crook O'Lune Holiday Park, it's virtually on your doorstep, which makes it an easy morning sortie before heading elsewhere. Combine it with a walk down to the river proper and you've got a solid couple of hours. Worth the detour if you're in Lancashire, though don't expect crowds.