Maen Huail

A weathered stone slab stands in the middle of Ruthin's town square, unassuming and easy to walk past if you're not paying attention. This is Maen Huail, and according to legend it's where King Arthur executed one of his rivals. Whether that's true or not hardly matters - what matters is that it's been sitting here for centuries, probably longer, and it's free to see.

The stone itself isn't much to look at, to be honest. It's roughly three feet tall, chipped and worn, with a bit of weathered text carved into it. You'll spend about five minutes here, ten if you're the type to linger and photograph it from different angles. Locals seem to have strong feelings about it, which gives the thing more character than its appearance alone would suggest.

It works well as a quick stop if you're wandering around Ruthin anyway - the town's worth an hour or two for its independent shops and castle ruins. If you're staying at Clwydian Glamping Pods nearby, it's only four and a half miles away and makes a decent leg-stretcher between longer walks in the Clwydian Range. History enthusiasts and Arthurian legend fans will find it interesting; kids will probably lose interest the moment they realise there's no gift shop or interactive experience. The real appeal is the sense of time and mystery rather than any visual spectacle.