Charterhouse Aquatics Design Team

The tanks here are impressive - proper glass-fronted affairs where you can watch fish behaviour up close without the crowds you'd fight through at bigger aquariums. Charterhouse Aquatics Design Team focuses on the technical side of keeping fish, so you're learning something while you browse rather than just watching through glass like a zombie.

This is absolutely one for the aquarium enthusiasts and hobbyists. Casual visitors might spend forty minutes max, but if you keep fish at home or you're thinking about getting into the hobby, you could easily lose two hours here picking brains and scoping out equipment. Kids get a decent kick out of it, though they'll flag if they're not already interested in aquatic life - it's not a theme park experience.

You're just east of London, which makes it a good afternoon stop if you're camping at Lee Valley Camping and Caravan Park or the Lee Valley Campsite out towards Sewardstone. Neither park is spectacular - the Edmonton site pulls a 2.6 rating and Sewardstone's marginally better at 3.6 - but they're functional bases if you're using this area as a jumping-off point rather than a holiday destination in themselves.

Cost and opening hours aren't advertised online, so ring ahead before you drive out. Worth it if you're genuinely into aquatics. Everyone else should probably skip it.