Mount Pleasant Henge

A Neolithic henge roughly five miles inland from Weymouth might sound like a scramble through overgrown fields for nothing much, but Mount Pleasant is genuinely worth the detour if you're staying at any of the local holiday parks. What you're looking at is one of Britain's largest henges - a massive circular earthwork dating back around 4,500 years, with a bank and ditch that's still properly impressive even as a ruin.

The site itself is more about scale and atmosphere than standing stones. There are no dramatic megaliths here - instead you walk around what feels like a vast ancient amphitheatre, reading the landscape like an archaeologist would. The bank rises surprisingly high once you're in among it, and on a quiet afternoon you get a real sense of the ceremonial weight the place must have carried.

Archaeology obsessives and anyone with a passing interest in Neolithic Britain will find this absorbing. Kids might lose interest after half an hour unless they're the type who enjoy clambering up earthworks and imagining rituals from 4,500 years ago. The walk from the car park is straightforward, though there's not much shelter.

Access and facilities details are thin on the ground - it appears to be free and open, but check ahead before you go. If you're based at Parkdean Resorts Warmwell or Haven Weymouth Bay, this makes an easy morning's outing combined with a proper walk around the Dorset coast. Worth the short drive rather than a reason to stay locally on its own.