Roman Buildings

The Roman remains scattered around Guildford are proper archaeology without the tourist trap feel. You're walking through streets where legionaries once tramped, examining foundation stones and pottery fragments that paint a picture of life two thousand years ago. The site isn't one tidy museum - it's woven into the modern town itself, which makes it either brilliant or frustrating depending on how you feel about sharing a dig site with a Tesco car park.

History buffs will find themselves completely absorbed, cross-referencing what they're seeing with maps and imagining the garrison town as it was. Families with younger children might struggle - there's not much in the way of interpretation boards or interactive elements, just the stones themselves. Walkers keen on combining exercise with a bit of archaeological interest will do well here; you can easily spend a couple of hours tracing the Roman street plan through modern Guildford.

It's free to wander about and poke around, though you'll want to check opening hours locally before turning up. Best done as part of a broader Guildford day out rather than a dedicated pilgrimage. If you're staying at one of the nearby glamping sites - Firesyde or Little Cowdray Farm are within easy reach - it's absolutely worth an hour or two of your time. The Roman buildings work best with someone who knows what they're looking at; if you're not already keen on archaeology, you might find yourself standing in front of a wall thinking, "Right, that's a wall then."