Vincenzo Lunardi

A modest stone monument tucked away near Hatfield marks the spot where Italian aeronaut Vincenzo Lunardi made history in 1784 - launching the first untethered hot air balloon flight in Britain. It's not much to look at, frankly. Just a plaque and marker in open countryside, the sort of thing you'd walk past without noticing if you didn't know what you were looking for.

But if you're into aviation history or Georgian-era oddities, it's absolutely worth the diversion. Lunardi's flight from Hondeslow Common caused a sensation at the time - thousands turned out to watch, half convinced the man would plummet from the sky. He didn't. He landed safely near Ware, some 15 miles north, and became an instant celebrity.

You're not going to spend hours here. It's a quick stop - ten minutes at most - but it works brilliantly as part of a walk through the Hertfordshire countryside. The landscape hasn't changed dramatically since the 1780s, which lends the whole thing a slightly eerie atmosphere. You can almost picture the crowds gathering.

If you're basing yourself at one of the nearby parks - Marshmoor Crescent Park is barely half a mile away, or Cherry Green Trees just slightly further - this makes a decent excuse to get out on foot. It's the sort of oddball local history that beats yet another themed playground. Not essential, but genuinely interesting if you're the type who reads plaques.