Betteshanger Park

The old colliery at Betteshanger, just outside Sandwich, is one of those places that sneaks up on you. What was once a working coal mine has been transformed into a proper industrial heritage site, and walking around the grounds gives you a real sense of what life was like for the miners who worked here for generations.

You can explore the pit head gear - that iconic winding tower that dominates the landscape - and wander through the restored buildings that tell the story of the Kent coalfields. There's something quite moving about standing where thousands of men descended into the earth each day. The site isn't flashy, and that's precisely why it works. No theme park nonsense, just straightforward history laid bare.

It's worth an afternoon if you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks like Ham Hideaway or Sandwich Leisure Holiday Park. Families with older kids will get more from it than toddlers, to be honest. History buffs and industrial archaeology enthusiasts will find plenty to sink their teeth into. Allow a couple of hours to do it properly - longer if you want to really linger and take photos.

The beauty of basing yourself in this corner of Kent is that Sandwich itself is a brilliant medieval town just down the road, so you can combine a bit of heritage wandering with coastal access. Betteshanger fills a gap nicely for a rainy afternoon or when you fancy something different from the beach.