Arcade 31 Ltd

A working amusement arcade just outside Bincombe that's doing what arcades have done for decades - dispensing fun in coin-operated chunks. It's the sort of place that proper seaside towns still have, where families with young kids kill an hour playing the claw machines and flashing the lights on the racing games.

The setup is straightforward: rows of classic and modern arcade machines, the usual assortment of coin pushers and ticket-dispensers, all the things that keep children entertained for longer than you'd expect while their parents grab a coffee. Nothing fancy, nothing trying to be ironic about it. It's just what it says on the tin.

Arcade 31 makes sense as a wet-weather backup or a quick diversion if you're camped at one of the nearby holiday parks - Parkdean Warmwell or Haven Weymouth Bay are both within five miles, making this the sort of place you pop into for an hour between beach trips. Worth knowing about if you're bringing kids and the weather turns, though honestly, it's not the reason you'll come to Dorset.

The real draw round here is the coastline and the walking. But if you need a rainy afternoon sorted and your children are still at that age where a 20p coin buys them 10 minutes of genuine excitement, you could do worse. Just don't expect anything beyond what a seaside arcade delivers.