Bournemouth Pier

The pier juts into the sea like a Victorian finger wagging at the waves. Built in 1856, it's all wrought iron and weathered charm - the sort of structure that looks properly authentic rather than knocked up for Instagram. You can walk the full length, which takes maybe twenty minutes at a leisurely pace, and there's genuinely something rather lovely about the sense of occasion that comes with stepping onto timber and iron over open water.

What you actually do here is straightforward: stroll, breathe salt air, watch fishermen hauling their lines, maybe grab chips from one of the arcades. There's a small amusement section with games and rides - nothing that'll blow your mind, but kids won't mind killing half an hour in there. The views back towards the shoreline are decent, especially if the sun's cooperating. On a grey day it's less compelling.

Walkers and anyone with a soft spot for Edwardian-era seaside architecture will get the most from it. Families with young children might manage forty minutes before the restlessness sets in unless the weather's cracking. Admission's free - you only pay if you fancy the arcade games or food.

It sits well within a Dorset coast holiday, particularly if you're basing yourselves at Meadowbank Holidays or Sandhills Holiday Park nearby. It's the sort of thing you tick off rather than plan a full day around, but worth the walk for the atmosphere and a proper feel of old-fashioned seaside Britain.