Wolsty Castle

There's not much left of Wolsty Castle, to be honest. What you're looking at near Wigton is essentially a mound - an earthwork that's somewhere between 800 and 900 years old, depending on which historian you ask. It sits in open countryside, quiet and unassuming, the sort of place you'd walk straight past if you didn't know what you were looking at.

The castle itself was likely a motte-and-bailey fortress, built by Norman lords who fancied controlling this corner of Cumbria. The mound is the actual defensive structure, ringed by ditches that are still visible if you know where to look. There's no keep, no stone walls, no cafeteria - just the bones of medieval strategy carved into the landscape.

This is genuinely one for the archaeology enthusiasts and serious history walkers rather than casual visitors after a day out. Kids will ask "where's the castle?" within about five minutes. There's nowhere to sit, nothing to read on-site, and no facilities whatsoever. It's absolutely free, mind you, and you can access it whenever suits you.

If you're basing yourself at Stanwix Park Holiday Centre or Solway Holiday Park - both within a couple of miles - it's worth a quick detour if you're into Iron Age or medieval fortifications. Pair it with a proper walk around the surrounding farmland and it becomes a decent morning out. Otherwise, unless you're genuinely interested in how Norman earthworks evolved, you're better off putting your energy into somewhere with more to actually see.