Davidstow Airfield and Cornwall at War Museum

The airfield at Davidstow tells a proper wartime story - this was a working RAF base during the Second World War, and the museum does justice to that history without getting too heavy-handed about it. You walk around actual hardstands and taxiways where Avro Lancasters once lined up, which gives the whole thing a genuine sense of place. The museum itself covers the lives of airmen stationed here, the bombers they flew, and what daily life looked like on a Cornish airfield during wartime.

It's a solid visit for anyone interested in aviation history or the Second World War - families with kids aged ten and up will get something from it, though younger children might find the pacing a bit slow. Allow a good couple of hours if you're going to read the displays properly; you can do it quicker if you're just after the outdoor bits.

Bude sits just four miles south, making this easy to fit into a broader holiday schedule. If you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks - Bude Camping and Caravanning Club Site is closest at under six miles - you could combine this with the beaches and coastal walks that make the area worth visiting in the first place. The museum runs year-round and admission is usually free or just a couple of quid, though it's worth checking ahead since opening hours can be patchy. Not a showstopper attraction on its own, but if you're in the area and have an hour or two spare, it's worth the short drive north from Bude.