Queen Square Obelisk

Bath's Queen Square sits in the heart of Georgian terraces, and the obelisk at its centre is easy to walk past if you're not paying attention. It's a 40-foot stone needle erected in 1738 to commemorate the visit of the Prince of Wales - a bit of civic one-upmanship, really, though the inscription has weathered to near illegibility. The square itself is the real draw: honey-coloured Bath stone townhouses that curve around the garden like an embrace. You'll see locals cutting through with shopping bags, tourists photographing the facades, Georgian architecture students pointing at the sash windows.

The obelisk works best as part of a wider Bath wander rather than a destination in itself. It takes five minutes to look at properly, then you're drawn naturally into exploring the square's perimeter or heading towards the Royal Crescent, which is a ten-minute walk away. History enthusiasts and architecture buffs will spend time reading whatever they can about the Prince's visit and the square's role in Bath's 18th-century expansion. Young kids might find it underwhelming unless they're monument-spotters; the square's open green space and nearby shops hold their attention longer.

Free to visit, obviously - it's a public space. Winter's best when tour groups thin out and the stone glows warmer in low light. If you're basing yourself at Bath Mill Lodge Retreat or CAMPWELL FARM, both within a couple of miles, the square makes for a straightforward hour's stroll into the city centre.