Stafford Castle Visitor Centre

The mound rises quite suddenly from the Staffordshire landscape near Stafford, and that's the first thing that strikes you - the sheer scale of the earthwork. Stafford Castle Visitor Centre sits at the foot of what's essentially a Norman motte, and the museum does a decent job of explaining why this lump of earth mattered so much in medieval times. You'll get the bones of the story inside: the Normans, the local barons, the various sieges and reconstructions over eight centuries. It's fairly straightforward stuff, but the real draw is climbing up to the castle ruins themselves and looking back across the town from the top.

History buffs will find enough context here to make the visit worthwhile, though it's not going to grip you for hours. Kids might manage thirty minutes indoors followed by a scramble up the mound - the views are decent, and there's space to run about at the summit. The proximity to Stafford town centre makes it easy to combine with a bit of shopping or a pub lunch if you're base camping at Ladybirch Motorhome Park just 1.7 miles away.

Word of warning: the actual castle structures are long gone, so you're looking at ruins and interpretation boards rather than anything you can properly walk through. It's a bit of a let-down if you're expecting battlements and towers. Go on a clear day when the views actually justify the climb. Admission details are worth checking ahead, but this is the sort of place that often runs on a small entrance fee or voluntary donation. Allow an hour if you want to do both the museum and the mound.