Croydon Airport Visitor Centre

The old terminal building at Croydon Airport tells a story most people drive past without noticing. This was genuinely important once - Britain's main airport before Gatwick and Heathrow took over. Walking through the Visitor Centre, you get a real sense of aviation's golden age, with vintage aircraft on display and photographs documenting the airport's heyday from the 1920s onwards.

It's a modest setup, and that's rather the point. You won't spend hours here - maybe 90 minutes if you're properly interested in the history - but for aviation enthusiasts or anyone curious about how Surrey's landscape shaped Britain's transport story, it's worth the detour from Redhill. Families with young kids might find it a bit dry unless they're already plane-mad. The real draw is the chance to walk around actual historic aircraft and see where commercial aviation in Britain actually started.

The location works well if you're based at Alderstead Heath or Milberry Green Meadows nearby. Both are solid caravan sites, and adding this visit gives you something to do on a quieter afternoon. Admission details and opening hours can be sketchy, so ring ahead before you visit - nothing worse than driving out expecting to find the doors open.

If you're into transport history and don't mind a bit of industrial heritage mixed with your holiday, this beats sitting in a car park waiting for the weather to clear.