Sir Thomas Picton

The statue of Sir Thomas Picton stands in Carmarthen town centre, a bronze figure cast in 1815 to honour the local military hero who rose to prominence during the Napoleonic Wars. It's one of those monuments you walk past dozens of times without really stopping to look, which is a shame because the inscription tells a proper story of a man who served as a general and eventually became Lieutenant Governor of Trinidad - though his legacy there is complicated and worth reading up on.

You won't spend hours here. It's a quick stop between Carmarthen's high street shops and the river, the sort of thing you do on a rainy afternoon when you've already done the castle. History buffs might find it worth a minute or two to consider what it represents about early 19th-century Wales and military ambition. Kids will frankly be bored rigid unless you're the type of parent who enjoys explaining Napoleonic campaigns to someone still learning their times tables.

If you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks - Church House Farm Getaways is barely 3 miles away - Carmarthen itself makes for an easy afternoon. The castle is the main draw, but the town's medieval streets are pleasant enough for a wander. Picton's statue is free to view, obviously, and always accessible since it sits in the public square. Combine it with a pub lunch and you've got yourself a reasonable half-day without needing to drive anywhere.