The Chilwell Explosion, 1st July 1918

On the morning of 1 July 1918, Chilwell Ordnance Factory - then one of the largest munitions plants in the world - was torn apart by a catastrophic explosion. Over 100 workers died in seconds. It remains one of Britain's worst industrial disasters, yet most people driving through Nottinghamshire have no idea it happened.

Today there's a modest memorial at the site, a sobering reminder of what occurred on that summer's day. It's not a visitor attraction in the traditional sense - there's no visitor centre, no gift shop, no reconstructed scenes. What you get instead is the actual place where the tragedy unfolded, now largely returned to everyday life. That's precisely what makes it worth seeking out.

History types and anyone interested in industrial heritage will find it genuinely moving. Families with older children might appreciate the educational weight of it, though there's nothing flashy to hold younger kids' attention. Allow 20 minutes - it's a reflective stop rather than a day out.

Chilwell sits just south of Nottingham, making it an easy detour if you're exploring the area. If you're camping at one of the nearby parks - Meadow view Glamping is closest at under three miles away - it's worth the short drive to understand what happened on this ordinary-looking patch of Nottinghamshire. The explosion changed safety regulations across British industry forever. That matters. The memorial marks it properly.