Coastal Forces

Lee-on-the-Solent holds onto a piece of Second World War naval history that most visitors to the Hampshire coast walk straight past. Coastal Forces was the base for the Navy's fast attack craft - motor torpedo boats and motor gun boats that ran dangerous missions across the Channel. Today you can explore the remnants of this operation, from period buildings to restored vessels and exhibits that bring the era to life.

It's a proper spot for anyone with even a passing interest in wartime maritime history. The museum covers the tactics, the crews, and the engineering that went into these small but lethal boats. You'll spend a good two hours here if you read the displays properly, longer if you potter about outside. Families with older kids tend to get more from it than younger ones - there's reading involved and some fairly gritty war stories, but the boats themselves are genuinely impressive to stand next to.

Admission is reasonable and the site runs most weekends, though you should check ahead before making the trip. It's a genuine working museum rather than a polished tourist attraction, which means sometimes things close for maintenance. Lee-on-the-Solent itself is compact and coastal, making it a natural stop if you're basing yourself at one of the caravan parks dotted along the coast - Kingfisher is nearest at just over two miles. The Solent views alone are worth the walk down to the seafront, and the whole area ties together well with a broader holiday taking in Hayling Island or the Isle of Wight parks nearby.