tumulus

Bronze Age burial mounds don't get much more atmospheric than this grass-covered tumulus perched on the Durham countryside near Barnard Castle. What you're looking at is essentially a 4,000-year-old grave - a rounded earthwork where ancient Britons buried their dead along with pottery and bronze goods. The mound itself rises perhaps eight feet from the surrounding field, giving you a proper sense of how our ancestors marked important burial sites.

Archaeology enthusiasts will find it fascinating to stand where Bronze Age ceremonies took place, though casual visitors might wonder what all the fuss is about. It's basically a grassy hill in a field, after all. The site works well as part of a longer walk around the Teesdale area - there are footpaths leading from Barnard Castle that take in several historical sites.

Families staying at nearby caravan parks like Hill Top Huts or Mickleton Mill Caravan Park could easily combine this with a trip into Barnard Castle itself. The castle ruins are far more dramatic for kids, but older children studying prehistory might appreciate seeing where people lived and died millennia ago. Allow about 20 minutes unless you're doing a longer countryside ramble. Free to visit, naturally - just respect the farmland around it.