Roger Bannister

The four-minute mile. On 6 May 1954, Roger Bannister ran it on the Iffley Road track in Oxford, and changed sport forever. That cinder oval is still there, still used by the university's athletes, and it's where you stand if you want to feel the weight of that moment.

There's not much to see, to be honest. It's a working athletics track on the university grounds, not a museum or visitor attraction with fanfare and plaques. You get access to walk around the grounds depending on university schedules, and if you're lucky you'll catch a training session or meet. The real thrill is knowing what happened here - Bannister's achievement wasn't just a British record, it was the barrier everyone said was unbreakable. Physicists had doubted humans could do it. Then he did.

This works best for running enthusiasts, track and field buffs, and anyone who appreciates sporting history. Casual visitors might find twenty minutes enough. There's no café or visitor centre to linger in, so plan it as part of a broader Oxford outing rather than a destination in itself.

Based near Oxford, the holiday parks along the ring - Cedar Hollow, Green Acres, Durham Leys Farm - put you within easy reach of the track and the wider city's colleges and museums. Spring and early summer are ideal, when the track's busier and the university less likely to have it closed. Check ahead on access, as it does shut for private events.