Hawthorn Park Playground

There's a decent playground tucked into Hawthorn Park, just outside Taunton, and it's the sort of place that works brilliantly if you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks and need to burn off some kid energy without driving anywhere. The setup is fairly standard - swings, slides, climbing frames - nothing fancy, but it does the job. You're looking at maybe an hour here if the kids are properly engaged, less if they're the type to get bored quickly.

It's genuinely useful rather than a destination in itself. If you're based at Ashe Farm Caravan and Camping Site, which is only a couple of miles away, or Holly Bush over near the Somerset Levels, this is an easy afternoon outing that breaks up a caravan park stay. The park setting means there's usually a bit of space around you, which is nicer than a lot of urban playgrounds.

Families with younger children will get the most from it - toddlers through to about eight or nine. Older kids might find it a bit limited. Go midweek if you can, especially in term time, because weekends can get rammed. There's no charge that I'm aware of, which is the way these things should be. It's not going to be the highlight of your Somerset trip, but as a practical stop during a caravan holiday, it's well worth knowing about.