Barbara Castle

The Barbara Castle Gallery sits in Blackburn as a tribute to the town's most famous political daughter. It's a modest space - no pretentious art institution, just a straightforward celebration of the woman who served as Britain's first female Home Secretary and fought like hell for equal pay. You get her personal effects, political memorabilia, photographs charting her rise through Labour politics in the 1960s and 70s, and enough context to understand why she mattered.

It works best for anyone with a genuine interest in British politics or women's history. If you're dragging reluctant teenagers round, they'll be bored within twenty minutes. But if you care about that particular era or what Castle achieved despite the establishment trying to block her at every turn, there's something rather moving about standing among her belongings.

The gallery is free to visit, though opening hours can be patchy - best to check ahead before making the trip into Blackburn town centre. Allow an hour, tops. It's not a day-long attraction.

If you're based at one of the nearby caravan parks - Northwood is closest at just over three miles away, or Dale Hey Farm if you want somewhere with top ratings - the gallery makes a decent rainy-day detour between countryside walks. Blackburn itself doesn't scream tourist destination, but this small gallery punches above its weight for anyone interested in twentieth-century political history.