The Obelisk

You'll spot it from the road well before you reach it - a tapering stone shaft rising from the Suffolk countryside like a finger pointing at the sky. The Obelisk stands east of Bury Saint Edmunds as a proper oddity, the kind of monument that makes you wonder what Georgian landowner dreamed this up and why. It's a straightforward affair, really - go, look at it, take a photo, move on. Allow twenty minutes unless you're keen on lengthy inscriptions and local history, in which case bring binoculars and a notebook.

Historians and architecture types will find more to chew on here than casual visitors. The monument itself tells a story about 18th-century rural vanity and the peculiar whims of the gentry. Families with restless children might find it a bit underwhelming on its own - it's not interactive or particularly high-energy, though the surrounding countryside is pleasant enough for a leg-stretch.

Free to visit, as far as these things go. There's no visitor centre or facilities, so come prepared. The best time is morning or late afternoon when the light catches the stone properly and the lane isn't crawling with traffic. If you're based at The Four Bells Glamping or Church View Campsite nearby, it's absolutely worth the short drive - combine it with a proper walk through the Suffolk lanes or a browse around Bury Saint Edmunds town centre. Don't expect the Monument Valley experience, but for a quirky afternoon detour during a park holiday, it does the job.