Wherwell Priory

The ruins of Wherwell Priory sit quietly beside the River Test, a few miles south of Stockbridge, and they're genuinely worth the short detour if you're walking in the area. What remains are fragments of a 10th-century nunnery - stone foundations, bits of wall, and enough atmosphere to conjure up what life was like for the women who lived here. The setting itself does most of the work: the river winds past, willows hang low over the water, and there's that particular Hampshire silence you get away from the main roads.

Unlike the grand abbeys that dominate guidebooks, Wherwell doesn't demand hours of your time. You're looking at twenty minutes to half an hour, tops, just walking the perimeter and poking around. It's free, naturally, and the ruins are accessible without any faffing about with gates or donations. Families with young children might find it a bit underwhelming - there's no interpretation boards and the remains aren't exactly dramatic. History buffs will get more from it, especially if you've swotted up beforehand on Anglo-Saxon Hampshire.

If you're based at Stockbridge View holiday park nearby, this makes a lovely leg-stretcher before lunch in town. The footpath from Stockbridge itself is pleasant, running alongside the Test - a proper chalk stream walk. The priory works better as part of a wider ramble than as a destination in itself, but that's rather the charm of it. No crowds, no gift shop, just quiet ruins and the sound of water.