Millennium Sundial

The Millennium Sundial sits in Greenwich Park, a brass-inlaid marker that's rather more interesting than it sounds. It's actually a proper working sundial, set into the ground near the park's summit, and on a clear day you can use it to tell the time - genuinely works, which is more than most people expect.

It was commissioned to mark the year 2000, so it's relatively recent as monuments go, but the location makes it worth seeking out. You're up on the hill with London spread out beneath you, and the sundial becomes an excuse to pause and take that in properly. The walk up from the park entrance takes about twenty minutes depending on which route you take.

Families find it good for a wander - kids tend to find the idea of a working clock in the ground more engaging than they'd admit beforehand. Walkers benefit from the fact it sits on an obvious path between better-known spots, so you can easily incorporate it into a longer loop around the park. History enthusiasts get less out of it than they might hope, truth be told - it's more about the Greenwich location itself than anything particularly deep.

It's free, unsurprisingly, and there's no entrance fee to the park either. Allow five minutes to examine the thing itself, though most people stay longer just to sit on the grass and look at the view. If you're staying at Abbey Wood Experience Freedom Glamping, it's a straightforward ride into Greenwich - the park's one of London's better open spaces for a half-day visit.