The Beacon Memorial

A tall brick tower catches the eye long before you reach it - that's The Beacon Memorial, standing sentinel over the Hampshire coast near Emsworth. Built to commemorate lives lost at sea, it's a proper piece of local history that most casual visitors miss entirely, which feels like a shame given how much character the place has.

You'll find yourself climbing the internal stairs if they're open to the public (worth checking ahead), rewarded with views across the water towards the Isle of Wight on clear days. The monument itself tells a story through its brass plaques and inscriptions - the kind of thing history types and anyone with an interest in maritime heritage will linger over properly. It's not a massive undertaking: thirty minutes is enough unless you're the sort to sit on a nearby bench sketching or photographing the light.

Families with older children manage fine here, though younger ones might lose interest once they've climbed up. It pairs well with a broader coastal walk around the Emsworth area, and you could reasonably work it into a loop that takes in some of the quieter stretches of coastline nearby.

If you're staying at The Old Dairy Farm Glamping just 1.7 miles away, or one of the other parks dotted along this stretch, The Beacon makes a sensible morning detour rather than a destination in itself. It's the sort of stop that costs nothing and adds genuine local flavour to your trip - the kind of thing you'll remember more fondly than the obvious attractions.