Titchfield Abbey

The ruins of Titchfield Abbey rise from the Hampshire countryside like a half-forgotten answer to a medieval riddle. What you're actually looking at are the remains of a 13th-century monastery, dissolved during Henry VIII's rampage through the Church, then converted into a Tudor mansion by the local earl. It's that oddball English thing - layers of history stacked on top of each other.

Walking the site takes about 45 minutes if you're properly nosy, less if you just want the Instagram shot. The gatehouse still stands mostly intact, and you can pick out where the cloisters once ran. Kids get bored after 20 minutes unless they're the type who enjoy climbing on old stones and imagining monks shuffling about in the fog. History buffs will spend longer trying to work out which bits are which period.

It's free to wander around, which is brilliant, and you won't fight crowds here - even in summer it feels quiet. The location near Southampton means it slots easily into a longer day out. If you're camping at Solent Breezes Holiday Park, just 2.8 miles away, or Dibles Park only 2.3 miles off, the abbey makes a decent half-hour detour on the way to somewhere else. Don't travel far specifically for it, but if you're in the area with a caravan or tent parked nearby, it's absolutely worth the drive. Ground can be muddy after rain, so decent shoes are proper necessary.