RNAS Mullion

The runway at RNAS Mullion cuts straight through the Cornish landscape like a scar that won't quite fade. This former Royal Naval Air Station, active during the Second World War, still feels suspended in time - a concrete reminder of when this corner of Cornwall mattered desperately to the war effort. You can walk the perimeter and spot the old hangars, dispersal areas, and control tower remnants that once hummed with Swordfish and Hellcat activity. It's not a museum with interactive exhibits or guided tours. There's no gift shop, no café. What you get instead is the raw archaeology of conflict - broken tarmac, overgrown buildings, the peculiar silence of a place where urgent things once happened.

History buffs and military enthusiasts will find it genuinely absorbing, though you need to come prepared with your own research to get the most from it. Families with young kids might find it a bit abstract - there's no narrative structure telling them what they're looking at. Walkers, though, will appreciate it as part of a broader explore of the Lizard Peninsula's wartime infrastructure. The site is accessible and free, though opening hours and visitor facilities remain unclear - best ring ahead or check locally in nearby villages.

If you're staying at The Secret Garden Glamping, barely half a mile away, it's an obvious add-on to your park holiday. It only takes an hour or two to walk the main areas, so you're not committing your entire day. Pair it with walks along the Lizard cliffs or the coastal path, and you've got proper substance to your week.