Duston Sports Centre

The leisure centre in Duston, just outside Northampton, is the sort of place you take the kids when the weather turns and you need an afternoon that doesn't involve screens. It's a proper community sports facility - nothing fancy, but it does the job well. You've got a swimming pool that appeals to younger children, a gym if you're the type to pack trainers, and various courts for badminton and other indoor sports.

The pool is really the draw here, especially if you're staying at Northants Caravan Site over at Covert Farm, only six miles away. It beats driving into the town centre, and the facility has that unpretentious feel of a local hub. It's not going to be a destination attraction in itself - you're not coming to Northamptonshire specifically for this - but it's exactly what you want when you're based nearby and need to break up a holiday routine.

Admission details aren't heavily publicised online, so ring ahead before you go. Family sessions tend to be busier on school holidays, so weekday mornings are your best bet for a less chaotic swim. Allow a couple of hours if you're bringing children who like lingering in the water. It's functional, accessible, and honest - no pretence, just a place where families actually go to do stuff together.