Dali Mural by Ster UPC

You'll spot this the moment you turn the corner near Benfleet - a sprawling Salvador Dalí mural that's somehow both utterly mad and oddly brilliant. The local artist Ster UPC has created something genuinely eye-catching: surreal imagery plastered across a substantial wall space, all melting clocks and impossible geometries rendered in vibrant colour. It's street art that actually makes you stop and think rather than shuffle past.

The beauty of it is there's no faffing about with opening hours or admission fees. You rock up whenever you fancy, have a proper look, snap your photos, and move on. Takes fifteen minutes at most, though art types or Instagram addicts might linger longer. The mural works best in good light - overcast days flatten it a bit.

It's not a destination in itself, mind. You're not driving from London for this alone. But if you're staying at Essex Glamping or knocking about Benfleet way, it's absolutely worth a detour. Families with older kids who appreciate contemporary art will get more from it than toddlers will. Anyone who finds street art pretentious probably won't change their mind here, but for those who reckon it's a legitimate form of expression, this is a cracking example of what can happen when someone with genuine talent gets wall space and freedom.

Pairs well with a walk round the local area - it's the sort of thing that anchors an afternoon rather than defines it.