Maud Heaths Monument

A modest stone obelisk stands beside the road between Chippenham and Kellaways, marking the life of an 18th-century woman most people have never heard of. Maud Heath was a local woman who, in the 1600s, paid for a causeway to be built across the marshland so that villagers could reach Chippenham market without sinking up to their knees in mud. The monument itself dates to 1838 and is frankly a bit underwhelming as attractions go - you'll spend five minutes here, tops.

But that's rather the point. This is a proper quiet moment in the countryside, the kind of thing you stumble upon when you're not trying too hard. The obelisk sits in open farmland with decent views across to Wiltshire's rolling edge, and there's a small pull-in where you can park without blocking the road. It's free, obviously, since it's just a wayside marker.

Walkers doing the longer routes around Chippenham might incorporate it into a morning ramble. History enthusiasts will appreciate the local legend - there's something rather moving about a medieval woman's name surviving four centuries via a lump of stone. Families staying at any of the nearby parks (Roe Deer Fields, Blackland Lakes, or The Retreat Glamping are all within three miles) could slot this into a wider explore of the Wiltshire lanes without detouring far.

Go if you're in the area killing time between other things. Don't drive out specially for it.