The St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury

Kent County Cricket Club has called this ground home since 1896, and walking through the gates feels like stepping into a proper slice of English sporting tradition. The St Lawrence Ground sits right on the edge of Canterbury, close enough to the cathedral city that you can almost hear the bells between overs. The oval itself is handsome in that understated way English cricket grounds manage - the pavilion's seen some things, and the ground record for an innings stands at 344, scored back in 1934. If you're genuinely keen on cricket, watching a County match here beats watching it on a screen by miles. The atmosphere's relaxed, the crowd's knowledgeable without being intense, and you can actually see the players' faces, hear the crack of bat on ball. Not a day trip for the kids unless they're already into the game - a five-year-old will be bored stiff after forty minutes. But if you're staying at one of the nearby campsites like Canterbury Camping and Caravanning Club, just a mile away, or pushing on to Brook Farm Glamping, it's worth checking the fixture list. Day matches work better than evening games if you've got families in tow. Admission varies depending on whether it's a County Championship match or a friendly, so ring ahead before you go. The ground's accessible, the food's standard cricket fare - nothing fancy - and parking's reasonable. Canterbury itself is worth your time regardless, so factor this in as a possible afternoon rather than a must-do.