Remains of Lonkin's Hall

The stone foundations scattered across a Northumberland hillside don't announce themselves with fanfare, but Lonkin's Hall rewards a bit of curiosity. What remains is essentially the footprint of a 17th-century fortified farmhouse - crumbling walls, the odd corner where you can still make out a doorway, enough to piece together how folk lived when the Scottish border raids were a genuine threat rather than history.

It's the kind of place that works best if you're already walking the surrounding moorland rather than a dedicated detour from Stocksfield. Bring an OS map or decent phone signal, because signage is minimal and the site blends easily into the landscape. The bones of the building are straightforward to make out once you're standing on it - not a spectacular ruin like Hadrian's Wall, but intimate in a different way. You see how thick those walls were, how the space was organised. It takes perhaps fifteen minutes to poke around properly.

This appeals mostly to walkers and local history types rather than families after a proper day out. The moorland around it is decent rambling country though, so it pairs well with longer walks in the area. If you're camping at Valley View or East Farm Glamping, it's accessible as a half-day circular walk from Stocksfield without driving further. Free access, naturally - there's nothing to charge at. Worth the walk if you're in the region, but don't reshape your itinerary around it.