The Valley

The Valley is Charlton Athletic's home ground, a proper old-school football stadium in south-east London that's been part of the community since 1919. Walk up to the gates and you get that instant sense of football history - the kind of place where generations of families have stood in the same spot cheering the same team.

If you're a football fan, the stadium tours are where it's at. You'll get inside the dressing rooms, walk the pitch, see the trophy cabinets. It takes about an hour and gives you the full backstory of the club's ups and downs. Match days, obviously, are the real draw - the atmosphere around here on game day is electric, especially if Charlton's pushing for promotion. The fans are proper passionate, which makes a change from the massive stadiums where you feel anonymous.

For casual visitors without a football obsession, honestly, it might feel a bit thin. An hour round the empty stadium is fine once, but it's not something you'd queue up for twice. Families with young kids who are football-mad will get a real kick out of it though - seeing where the professionals play tends to inspire them.

You're bang in south London, so it works as part of a broader day out. Abbey Wood Experience Freedom Glamping is only about 3.6 miles away if you're staying nearby. Best time to visit is clearly a match day if you can get tickets, though you'll need to book ahead. Otherwise, ring ahead about tour availability - opening times and admission prices vary depending on fixtures.