Ashby Library

The Victorian brick building on North Street in Ashby doesn't announce itself with fanfare, but that's rather the point. Ashby Library is a proper small-town institution - the kind of place where locals actually gather, and where you'll find both the latest paperbacks and genuine community spirit. It's a working library, not a museum piece, though the building itself carries that solid 19th-century confidence you don't see much anymore.

What you get here depends entirely on what you're after. The collection leans local and practical rather than exhaustive, which means if you're after obscure first editions you'll be disappointed, but if you want contemporary fiction, local history, or a quiet spot to sit with a cup of tea, it delivers. The opening hours are a bit fragmented - mornings and early afternoons scattered across the week - so check before you trek over from Coalville. Free admission, naturally, as a proper public library should be.

This works best for families wanting a rainy-day activity or anyone with a genuine interest in how small English towns tick. It's not a destination in itself, but if you're based at one of the nearby caravan sites - Conkers is just over three miles away, or Fire & Stars Woodland if you're after something with more outdoorsy credentials - an hour browsing here beats fighting supermarket car parks. Allow 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how much digging around you fancy.