Waltham Abbey - Olympics 2012 Monument

The 2012 Olympics left its mark on Waltham Abbey in ways most visitors never notice. A modest monument commemorates the Games' legacy in this corner of Hertfordshire, just outside Waltham Cross - and it's the sort of thing you either seek out deliberately or stumble upon while exploring the wider abbey grounds.

What you're looking at is a permanent reminder of when the torch relay passed through, and the community's role in hosting Olympic activity nearby. It's not flashy. There's no visitor centre, no gift shop, no queues. Just a marker that says this place mattered during those hectic weeks in 2012.

Historically minded visitors and those with a specific interest in Olympic heritage will get the most from it, honestly. It's not a destination in itself - you don't book a holiday to stand in front of a monument for an afternoon. But it slots nicely into a walk around Waltham Abbey proper, which is worth a couple of hours if medieval architecture interests you.

Staying at Fowley Mead Park, just half a mile away, or Theobalds Park a touch further, gives you easy access to this whole corner of the Lee Valley. The monument takes five minutes to see; the abbey itself and the riverside walks around it take considerably longer. Go during daylight hours - there's nothing here after dark - and don't expect facilities. It's free, naturally, and requires no planning beyond knowing it exists.