World War 2 Spigot Mortar

A squat, formidable lump of metal sits in the Buckinghamshire countryside near Amersham - a genuine World War 2 spigot mortar, one of those peculiar defensive weapons Britain rushed into production when invasion seemed imminent. It's the sort of thing that stops you dead. You can walk right up to it, trace your hand along the barrel, actually comprehend the scale of the thing in a way no museum display quite manages.

What you're looking at is a Blacker Bombard, designed to fire a 20-pound bomb with enough punch to take out tanks. The Home Guard trained on these. They were scattered across fields and roadsides from 1940 onwards, part of Britain's answer to "What if Hitler lands tomorrow?" Most were scrapped decades ago. Finding one still here, still standing, feels like stumbling on a time capsule.

It's free to visit and requires about fifteen minutes - maybe thirty if you're the type who wants to sit on a nearby bench and really soak in the historical weight of it. The location isn't advertised to death, which is half its charm. History enthusiasts and anyone with a particular interest in Home Guard memorabilia will find it worthwhile. Families with young kids might find it a bit static unless you've done the groundwork explaining what it is.

If you're staying at one of the local parks - Lights Camera Glamping or Highclere just a couple of miles away - this makes an easy leg-stretch between pitches. Pair it with a proper walk through the surrounding Chilterns countryside and you've got a decent morning sorted.