South Cerney Cross

Standing in South Cerney village, a few miles south of Cirencester, this medieval cross has been watching over the Gloucestershire countryside for centuries. It's a proper stone monument - weathered, substantial, the kind of thing that makes you pause and think about all the market days and village gatherings it's seen.

You don't need to budget much time here. It's a straightforward stop rather than a destination in itself - five minutes to have a look, take a photo, read whatever information placard might be there. The cross sits in the village itself, which is pleasant enough for a wander if you've got another quarter of an hour. There's a village green nearby, and you can get the sense of what South Cerney was like when this cross was actually doing its job as a focal point for trade and community.

History types will find it worth the detour, especially if you're already exploring the Cotswolds around Cirencester. It's free to visit, obviously - it's just sat in a public space. The best time is whenever you're passing through, really, though fine weather makes the stonework show up better in photographs.

If you're staying at Hoburne Cotswold Holiday Park, it's barely a mile away, making it an easy side-trip without any commitment. Cirencester Park Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite is three and a half miles off, still reasonable for a morning outing. It's not going to thrill kids for long, but it teaches them something about how villages worked before high streets existed.