Clarence Pier

The pier stretches out into the Solent like a promise of seaside fun, and Clarence Pier in Lee-on-the-Solent delivers exactly what you'd expect from a traditional English amusement pier. It's all candy floss, arcade games, rides ranging from gentle spinning cups to something with a bit more kick, and the sort of chaotic energy that kids absolutely love and parents tolerate with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

You're looking at anywhere from two to four hours here depending on how many rides your crew wants to queue for. The pier itself is free to walk on - you pay per ride or grab a wristband if you're planning a proper session. It's the kind of place that works brilliantly on a sunny afternoon when you've got time to kill between meals. The views back towards the coast are decent, though you're here for the rides rather than the scenery.

Families with younger children will get genuine mileage from this. Teenagers might find it a touch dated compared to proper theme parks, though the arcade area and seafront setting have their own appeal. The queues move reasonably quickly in shoulder season - early summer or September beats the school holidays by miles.

If you're based at one of the nearby caravan parks - Kingfisher is closest at just over three miles away - Clarence Pier makes a solid rainy-day backup or a quick evening outing. It's unpretentious, proper seaside Britain, and that's exactly its charm. Not revolutionary, but reliable.