Milecastle 23 (Stanley)

A stretch of Hadrian's Wall near Stanley in Northumberland, Milecastle 23 is one of the smaller Roman forts dotting this extraordinary 73-mile defence line. What you're actually looking at are the remains of stone walls and ditches - not dramatic, but oddly moving once you realise soldiers stood here nearly 2,000 years ago watching the Scottish borderlands.

It's a proper walker's stop rather than a destination in itself. The site sits on open moorland, exposed and windswept, which adds to the atmosphere rather than detracts from it. You can pick out the fort's layout if you know what you're looking for - the gatehouse, the barrack blocks defined by low stone walls. Allow 20-30 minutes unless you're a Roman archaeology enthusiast, in which case you could spend an hour photographing details and mentally reconstructing what stood here.

Historically-minded visitors will get the most from Milecastle 23. Young kids might find it underwhelming - there's no visitor centre, no interpretation boards, just the bones of the fort itself. The walk from the nearest car park involves proper moorland terrain, so bring decent boots and weather-appropriate kit.

If you're staying at East Farm Glamping or Northumberland Nook, this makes a solid afternoon circuit combined with other Wall sections closer to Newcastle upon Tyne. It's the kind of place that rewards preparation - download a Roman Wall guide beforehand, and the scattered stones suddenly tell a story. Without that context, it's just old rubble.