Sir Archibald McIndoe

The McIndoe Memorial Statue stands in East Grinstead as a tribute to a surgeon who changed the face of modern medicine - quite literally. Sir Archibald McIndoe pioneered plastic surgery techniques during the Second World War, working with RAF pilots whose injuries would have seemed untreatable before his innovations. The statue itself is modest, the kind of thing you might walk past if you weren't paying attention, but it marks something genuinely important.

This is more a moment of reflection than a destination that'll eat up your afternoon. You're looking at perhaps twenty minutes here, standing in front of the bronze figure and reading the inscription. It works best if you've got some interest in medical history or wartime Britain - kids might find it a bit underwhelming unless they're already engaged with that period. The real story, the proper one about McIndoe's burn units and his revolutionary grafting work, lives in the hospitals and archives rather than in the bronze itself.

East Grinstead's only a few miles from Lingfield, making it an easy addition to a wider tour of Surrey if you're staying at one of the nearby parks. Hook Farm Campsite is your best bet for quality accommodation, though Glamping at Long Acres offers something a bit different if you fancy it. Combine this with walks around the High Weald or visits to some of the region's gardens, and you've got a proper day mapped out. The memorial doesn't demand much, but what it represents deserves respect.