St Nicholas's Church (site of)

All that remains of St Nicholas's Church is a modest earthwork on the Hampshire downs, a few miles outside Alresford. It's one of those sites that rewards the curious more than the casual passerby. What you're looking at is the buried footprint of a medieval church, abandoned centuries ago and now just a gentle dip in the field - the kind of thing you'd walk past without noticing unless someone pointed it out.

The church itself vanished long ago, but archaeologists and local historians have pieced together enough to know it stood here from Norman times until it was abandoned, probably sometime in the medieval period. Why it was left to decay nobody quite knows - that's half the appeal of the place. You won't find reconstructions or visitor facilities here; this is genuine, unglamorous archaeology. A proper walk across open countryside, then a pause at an unremarkable spot to imagine what once stood there.

It's the sort of place that appeals to local history obsessives and walkers who enjoy having a destination beyond "nice views", though children will probably find it underwhelming after five minutes. Allow an hour if you're combining it with a wider ramble around the area.

If you're staying at The Spinney Caravan Park or Hampshire Hills nearby, it makes a decent morning's exploration - the kind of diversion that breaks up a week of more standard attractions. Free to visit, naturally. Just bring a decent map or offline directions; there's nothing to actually see once you arrive.