Great War

The Great War site near Colchester is one of those places that hits differently once you're actually standing there. It's a working recreation of First World War trenches and military installations - the kind of thing that photographs don't quite prepare you for. You walk through reconstructed dugouts, see the scale of the earthworks, and suddenly understand why soldiers talk about the mud and the claustrophobia the way they do.

This isn't a museum with glass cases. It's hands-on, which means families with kids aged eight and up tend to get the most from it - younger children find the confined spaces a bit unsettling, to be honest. History types will spend a good three hours here, but most visitors allow two hours and feel they've got their money's worth. The outdoor nature of it means you're exposed to the weather, so go when it's not absolutely pouring.

It works well as part of a broader Colchester trip. The town itself has Roman history and a proper castle if you want to double up attractions. If you're camping nearby - Colchester Country Park is only a couple of miles away, and Ardleigh Caravan & Camping Park sits about four miles out - you could easily visit this on one day and explore the town on another. Worth the detour if you're heading that way anyway, though it's not the sort of place that warrants a special journey unless you're genuinely into military history.