The Kettles

The Kettles sit on moorland just outside Wooler, and if you're after something genuinely different from the usual Northumberland attractions, this Bronze Age cairn field delivers. You're looking at a scattering of stone circles and burial mounds spread across open hillside - nothing flashy, no visitor centre, just archaeology doing its job in the landscape.

Walking among them is proper atmospheric. The circles themselves aren't massive, but there's something about standing where people stood three thousand years ago that makes the hair stand up a bit. It's the kind of place that rewards a slow wander rather than a quick photo stop. Bring decent boots though - the moorland can be boggy, especially after rain.

Historia buffs will get the most from this. Kids might manage twenty minutes before asking when you're heading back to the caravan. It's free, naturally, and you can spend as long as you want. An hour's walking lets you see most of what's there without rushing.

The real appeal is how it fits into a wider Wooler-based holiday. You're minutes from Highburn House Caravan Park if that's where you're staying, and it works as an easy morning or afternoon jaunt before heading into town for a proper lunch. Combine it with Cheviot walks and the market town itself, and you've got a decent couple of days. It's not dramatic like some Scottish cairn sites, but it's genuine and untouched - which is exactly why it works.