Castlelaw Hill Fort

What it’s like

Free ramble round the ditches and ramparts of an Iron Age hill fort cut into the hillside.

This one's earthworks, not exhibits. Three concentric rings of ramparts and ditches are still cut into the ground from the Iron Age, and you're free to walk the lines of them and work out where the walls once stood. It's a decent one for a kid who likes climbing banks and peering into ditches, less so for one who wants a gift shop or an interactive display, because there isn't either.

There's no entry fee, which is the whole point of a visit like this. It's open longer in summer, 9.30am to 5.30pm from April to September, and shorter over winter at 10am to 4pm, with last entry half an hour before closing whichever season you turn up in. Nobody's checking tickets or moving you along, so you can let a visit stretch or cut it short depending on how the weather's holding up.

Treat it as an add-on to a bigger day rather than the main event. An hour's probably enough to walk the ramparts properly and let the kids scramble about, and it slots in well either side of something with more going on, a soft play or a proper museum with a café. Bring what you need with you, because there's nothing to buy once you're there.

Need to know

Last entry

30 minutes before closing

• It's an outdoor site with no visitor centre or shop, so there's nothing to buy once you arrive
• Last entry is 30 minutes before closing, so don't turn up right at the deadline
• Hours shift with the season, an hour longer either end in summer

Plan your visit

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