Martyn Monument

The Martyn Monument sits on high ground near Callington, a granite obelisk that catches you slightly off guard when you crest the hill. It's a proper waymark - impossible to miss once you know it's there, standing alone against the Cornish sky like something from a Samuel Palmer painting.

This is a memorial to a local man, though the exact details fade with time the way these things do. What matters is the walk to reach it. You're not talking about a tourist trap here - more a genuine stop on a country walk where people actually come to stretch their legs and take in the view rather than queue for a gift shop.

It works brilliantly if you're combining it with a broader explore of the area around Callington. The monument makes a natural turning point for a circular walk, and the surrounding lanes and fields give you a proper sense of rural Cornwall without the crowds you'd hit at the more famous spots. Families won't find it thrilling - there's nothing to do here except look and climb back down - but it suits walkers absolutely. Anyone doing a multi-day trek through the region should factor it in.

Free access, naturally. No facilities to speak of, so bring water. The best light is late afternoon when the stone glows. Winter walks here feel particularly good - clearer sight lines, fewer midges, that particular golden hour that comes early.