Stock Windmill

The white-painted tower rises suddenly from the Essex flatlands just outside Ingatestone, and it's genuinely striking - this weatherboarded structure has been grinding grain since the 1760s. Stock Windmill is a working museum that lets you climb inside a proper timber-frame smock mill, dodging the original machinery as you go up. The views across the countryside from the top make the narrow stairs worthwhile, though fair warning - it's a tight squeeze and not for anyone who struggles with heights.

You'll spend perhaps an hour here, which is fine if you're local or passing through. The staff know their stuff about milling and Essex history, and there's something oddly satisfying about standing in a building where the same job has happened for 250 years. Children get a kick out of the working demonstrations when they're on, though younger kids might lose interest once they've climbed up and come back down.

If you're camping at Stuarts Wood - barely a mile away - this makes a natural half-morning stop before you head elsewhere. It's free to enter, which helps when you're not sure you'll stay long. The real appeal is seeing how windmills actually functioned, not as a standalone day out. Pair it with walking the local footpaths or a visit to Ingatestone itself if you want a fuller afternoon. Best on a windy day when the sails are turning - seeing it operate beats staring at static machinery.