East Cliff Lift Top

The lift itself is the real draw here - a Victorian funicular railway that hauls you 120 metres up the cliff face in Christchurch, giving you proper views across Christchurch Harbour and out towards the Isle of Wight on a clear day. It's not exactly a white-knuckle experience, but there's something satisfying about letting someone else do the work after a coastal walk.

Once you're at the top, you've got access to the clifftop paths and the gardens - nothing spectacular, but a solid enough spot to pause and catch your breath. The real appeal for families is the journey itself; younger kids find the Victorian engineering genuinely interesting, and there's something quite tactile about riding in a carriage that's been doing this since the 1880s.

Allow twenty minutes minimum, though most people spend longer browsing the small shop or lingering on the viewing platform. Summer weekends get rammed, so aim for a weekday morning if you can.

If you're staying at Meadowbank Holidays or Sandhills Holiday Park nearby, it makes for an easy outing - Christchurch itself is worth a wander regardless. The lift isn't going to be your holiday highlight, but it's a proper old-fashioned seaside attraction that still works. Admission costs a couple of quid each way, which feels fair for the novelty.