Breworks

Breworks sits just outside York and does exactly what it says on the tin - brews proper beer. The place is a working brewery where you can watch the actual kit in action, not some theme park version of beer-making. You'll see the fermentation tanks, the bottling line, all the bits that matter. The tour itself is a good hour or so, and you get to taste what they've actually made that week, which beats staring at laminated posters by a mile.

It's genuinely interesting if you care about how beer gets from grain to glass. Less so if you're not bothered about the technical side - the gift shop and tasting room are fine, but it's not like there's loads to do if the brewing process doesn't grab you. Families with older kids who are into food production might get something out of it. Parents dragging reluctant teenagers along will find it drags a bit.

The location is handy for anyone staying at one of the caravan parks dotted round here - Yorkshire Burrows and Westgate Carr Farm are both a short drive away. Pair it with a proper walk round York's walls or a day at the folk museum, and it fills an afternoon nicely. Check the website for opening times and whether you need to book a tour - availability seems to vary depending on the brewing schedule.