Marlow Bridge

The bridge at Marlow is one of those spots you walk across without really thinking about it until you stop mid-span and actually look around. Built in 1832, it's a proper Victorian suspension bridge - all cast iron and elegant proportions - that connects Marlow to Great Marlow on the opposite bank of the Thames. The engineering is genuinely impressive when you pay attention to it, and the views upstream and downstream are genuinely lovely, especially on a clear afternoon when the light hits the water just right.

It's free to cross, obviously, and doesn't take any time at all unless you're the type to linger and take photographs. Most people won't spend more than five or ten minutes here, but that's rather the point - it's a pleasant interlude rather than a destination in itself. The bridge works best as part of a riverside walk through Marlow itself, which has proper pubs, a decent high street, and the Thames Path running both directions.

Families with young kids might enjoy it as a bridge-spotting exercise, and if you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Rent Bell Tents is barely half a mile away, or Hurleyford Farm just under two miles - it's an easy stroll into town. The area around here is walking territory rather than sitting-and-staring territory, so combine it with a pub lunch and a proper wander along the river. Worth the detour only if you're in the area anyway, but pleasant enough that you won't regret crossing it.