Milecastle 32 (Carraw)

There's something genuinely moving about walking up to Milecastle 32 and realising you're standing on a Roman frontier built nearly two thousand years ago. This small fortification sits along Hadrian's Wall, about four miles west of Hexham, and what remains are the stone foundations and a section of the wall itself - nothing dramatic, but absolutely real.

The milecastle is essentially a miniature fort, one of dozens that once dotted the 73-mile length of the wall. Soldiers would have been stationed here to patrol and control movement across the border. You can still make out the gateway and the internal layout if you know what you're looking at. It's the kind of place that rewards actually standing there and imagining the Romans stamping around in the Northumberland weather.

Historically minded visitors will get the most from this. Kids under ten might find it a bit abstract - there's no interpretation board, no gift shop, just archaeology. But teenagers with any interest in Roman Britain will find it genuinely absorbing, especially if you're exploring the wall's entire length.

It's completely free and accessible. Allow half an hour to walk around and take it in properly. The moorland setting is rather bleak and beautiful. If you're camping at Stonehaugh or Sycamore Glamping Pods nearby, this is absolutely worth an afternoon detour. Pair it with the better-preserved sections of wall further east, or the museums in Hexham, and you've got a proper Roman day sorted.