The Grange at Northington

The Grange at Northington is a proper oddity - a massive neoclassical house that was deliberately abandoned and left to decay in the 1960s by its owner, who wanted it to return to nature rather than fall into unsuitable hands. What you get now is this extraordinary shell: a vast rotunda with Ionic columns, surrounded by crumbling wings and overgrown grounds that feel genuinely eerie. It's free to visit, though opening hours are limited and a bit vague, so check ahead before making the trip from Alresford.

This isn't a manicured stately home experience. The exterior is the draw - walking around the perimeter to take in the sheer scale and decay of it all takes a good hour, longer if you're into architectural photography. You can't go inside, which frustrates some visitors, but there's something rather romantic about the ruin itself. History buffs will appreciate its Georgian provenance, whilst architecture students practically queue up to sketch it.

Families with young children might find thirty minutes about right before boredom sets in. Walkers, however, will love it as a stopping point on a countryside route. The surrounding landscape is genuinely lovely - rolling Hampshire fields that remind you why people camp around here in caravans at places like The Spinney or Hampshire Hills just down the road.

Go in late afternoon when the light catches those columns properly. Bring a camera. Don't expect facilities - there's essentially nothing there except the house itself and some overgrown gardens. It's wonderfully, unapologetically uncommercial.