Stannon Stone Circle

The moorland around Bodmin holds more Bronze Age secrets than most people realise, and Stannon Stone Circle is one of the best-preserved examples you'll stumble across. It's a proper ring of standing stones - nothing massive or dramatic, but there's something genuinely moving about walking the circle and trying to work out what rituals happened here 4,000 years ago. The stones are weathered and modest compared to Stonehenge, which is partly why they're so good. You get the real thing without the coach parties.

It's a walker's spot more than anything. You'll want decent boots and an hour or so to find it properly, pick your way round, and let the landscape sink in. The moor itself is the main event - wind-scoured, empty, with views that stretch for miles. If your kids are at that age where they care about standing stones and prehistory, they'll get it. Younger ones might find twenty minutes enough.

No facilities, no entrance fee, no visitor centre - it's free and entirely open. The best approach is from the parking areas on the moor road between Bodmin and Blisland. Camp De Lank is your closest base at 3.7 miles away, and they've got everything from camping to glamping sorted. Rosebud Farm works too if you want adults-only peace. This isn't a day-trip destination on its own, but it slots beautifully into a wider moorland ramble or as a proper detour if you're camping locally and want to explore properly.