Go picnicing at Rye House Gatehouse
Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire
The medieval Rye House Gatehouse makes an imposing background to any picnic.
Now in the Lee Valley Regional Park, there were once medieval buildings here for about 450 years, but now only the gatehouse remains. It was part of one of the first brick-built houses in the country and boasts decoration that was meant to project the power, prestige and wealth of the owner.
You can climb the winding stairs of the Grade I listed building to the viewing platform and get to see the barley-twist chimneys up-close.
Afterwards you can head to the nearby Rye House Quay on the River Lee Navigation – a lovely spot to linger or to have that picnic.