Alresford Museum

The museum sits right in the heart of Alresford, a Georgian market town that's worth exploring in its own right. Inside, you'll find the sort of local history collection that actually tells you something about the place - old photographs, artefacts from the town's silk and paper-making days, and plenty of detail about Alresford's role in Hampshire's industrial past. It's small and straightforward, which means you won't need more than an hour or so to get the full picture.

This works best for anyone with a genuine interest in local heritage rather than casual browsers. If you're staying at one of the nearby parks - The Spinney is barely half a mile away - it's absolutely worth an afternoon visit, especially on a rainy day. The staff are usually knowledgeable and happy to chat, which makes a real difference in a place this size.

Alresford itself is the real draw though. The High Street has proper character, the Watercress Line steam railway runs from here, and you can walk along the pond. The museum slots in nicely as part of a wider afternoon wandering the town. Combine it with a wander round the independent shops and a pub lunch, and you've got a solid few hours. If the weather's decent, you might skip the museum entirely and head out on the walking trails instead - but on a drizzly day, it's a reliable stop.