Tote Copse Castle (mound)

You'll find nothing but an overgrown mound in a field near Aldingbourne, a few miles inland from Bognor Regis. This is what's left of Tote Copse Castle - a Norman motte and bailey from the 11th century, now barely recognisable unless you know what you're looking at. The mound itself is the only substantial remains; the bailey earthworks are fainter, and any wooden structures that once stood here vanished centuries ago.

Historically minded visitors might find it worthwhile - there's something rather atmospheric about standing where a castle once commanded the South Sussex landscape, even if all you've got is a grassy bump. It's the kind of site that rewards a bit of archaeological imagination. Kids will either find it fascinating or utterly pointless, depending on their age and patience for invisible fortifications.

Access appears to be free and unrestricted, though the site sits on private farmland, so it's worth asking permission locally before clambering about. Give yourself twenty minutes maximum, unless you're genuinely keen on Norman defensive architecture. The nearest proper landmark is Decoy Farmhouse, north of which the mound sits. Bognor Regis town itself is the closest base, and with Butlins just down the road and several caravan parks within spitting distance - Rowan Park and Chichester Lakeside among them - this could slot into a wider Sussex coastal holiday. But don't detour specifically for this one. It's a curio rather than a destination.