Giant Pencil

There's a 6-metre pencil standing in Leighton Buzzard, and yes, it's exactly as odd as it sounds. This is the Giant Pencil gallery - a proper quirky spot that emerged from the town's pencil-manufacturing heritage. The pencil itself dominates the space, a striking installation that doubles as both artwork and local monument. Inside you'll find rotating exhibitions that tend toward contemporary work, though they're usually modest in scale and scope.

It's the sort of place that works brilliantly if you're already in Leighton Buzzard and have an hour to kill, less so if you're driving 20 minutes specifically to see it. Families with younger kids will probably lose interest after 30 minutes - the novelty wears off quickly. Art types and local history enthusiasts will get more from it, particularly anyone interested in industrial heritage and how small towns reinvent themselves.

If you're staying at Hill Farm and Orchard or Wingbury Farm Glamping nearby, it's absolutely worth a quick visit on a rainy afternoon. The town centre itself is walkable and unremarkable, but having this daft landmark gives you something to aim for. Check ahead though - opening hours and admission fees aren't always consistent, and you'd be gutted to turn up and find it closed. The real draw is the oddness of the thing itself rather than what's hanging on the walls inside.