Rushton Triangular Lodge

Three storeys of pure oddness rise out of the Northamptonshire countryside near Kettering - a triangular lodge that makes you wonder what on earth the person who built it was thinking. Sir Thomas Tresham constructed this in the 1590s as a private retreat, and everything about it is deliberately geometric: three sides, three floors, three windows per side. It's the kind of place that rewards a proper look round, though you'll want to check opening before you visit as access can be restricted.

The lodge itself is small - you're not talking about hours here, more like 30 minutes to an hour if you're thorough. What makes it worthwhile is the sheer eccentricity of the thing. Tresham was Catholic and rather obsessed with the number three and religious symbolism, so the whole building is essentially his personal architectural statement. The detail work inside is genuinely interesting if you're into that sort of thing.

It's genuinely brilliant for anyone who likes architectural oddities or history buffs who appreciate Renaissance eccentricity. Kids might find it a bit of a novelty for ten minutes, then lose interest. The setting is lovely enough - you're out in open country - but there's not much to do beyond looking at the building itself.

If you're basing yourselves at Lakeview Caravan Park or Northfield Farm, both just three miles away, it's absolutely worth a quick detour on a morning drive. Get Lost In Nature is similarly close at 3.8 miles. None of these parks are far enough that a visit would feel out of the way.