Standing Stone

There's something properly arresting about standing in front of a lump of granite that's been vertical for somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 years. The Standing Stone near Penzance is exactly that - no visitor centre, no interpretive boards, just a substantial chunk of rock planted in the Cornish landscape like an exclamation mark someone left behind in the Bronze Age.

It's small enough that you won't spend hours here, but that's rather the point. Five minutes of looking up at it, working out how on earth they moved it without machinery, and you've got the measure of it. The real appeal is that it's utterly unfussy - no fees, no crowds, no gift shop nonsense.

Walkers get the most from this one. It's the kind of thing you stumble across while routing between Penzance and the coastal paths, or you make a specific detour because you're into Bronze Age Cornwall and want to connect the dots with other sites in the area. Families with young kids might find it a bit of a letdown if they're expecting something interactive, but older children interested in archaeology will appreciate the genuine mystery of it.

If you're staying at Roselands Caravan Camping Park or one of the glamping spots nearby, it's worth the short drive just for the oddness factor. Bring a camera and your own sense of wonder - this one doesn't do the work for you.