Abington Park Museum

The red-brick Victorian mansion at Abington Park sits surrounded by proper parkland on Northampton's southern edge - you've got 126 acres to explore if the museum itself doesn't grip you. Inside, it's a fairly traditional local history setup: costumes, pottery, furniture, that sort of thing. The natural history collection has some decent taxidermy and local finds, and there's usually something on about the town's shoemaking past, which shaped the place for centuries.

It works best for families with younger kids and anyone with a genuine interest in Northamptonshire social history. Teenagers might do the rounds in forty minutes flat. The grounds are the real draw though - proper woodland walks, open grassland, and you can actually breathe. On a decent day, it's worth the visit just for that.

If you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks - Billing Aquadrome is only a mile and a half away, making this an easy morning trip - combine it with a proper walk around the estate. Sywell Country Park and Overstone Lakes are also within striking distance if you want to ring the changes. The museum itself appears to have free admission, though you'd want to check current opening hours before you head over. Allow two hours if you're taking it seriously, less if you're just doing the highlights and heading back outside.