The Edlington pirate

The Edlington pirate is one of those wonderfully odd Lincolnshire landmarks that stops you dead when you round a corner near Horncastle. It's essentially a carved wooden figure - a pirate, obviously - that's become a bit of a local curiosity over the years. You'll find it standing by the roadside, weathered and slightly defiant, the kind of thing that makes you do a double-take and immediately wonder what the story is behind it.

Historically minded visitors might find themselves more charmed by the mystery than the monument itself. There's something distinctly British about a random pirate appearing in the middle of the Fens, far from any coast. It's the sort of thing that sparks conversation - why here? Who put it there? Nobody seems entirely sure, which somehow makes it better.

It won't take long to visit. Five minutes to find it, another five to take a photo and poke around. Don't expect facilities or information boards. What you get is a brief, slightly baffling encounter with local character.

If you're camping or glamping nearby - and there's a decent cluster of options within a few miles, including Longwool Shepherd Huts and Bain View Glamping - it's worth a quick detour during a countryside drive. Pair it with a proper exploration of the Horncastle area, which has actual history worth your time. The pirate works best as a curiosity stop rather than a destination in itself, but that's precisely why it's worth knowing about.