HMS Royal Sovereign

The HMS Royal Sovereign sits in the Solent off Lee-on-the-Solent, a decommissioned nuclear-powered submarine that served the Royal Navy from 1967 to 1992. She's now a museum ship - you can walk the cramped corridors where crews lived and worked in conditions that would make most of us claustrophobic within minutes. It's genuinely fascinating if you're into naval history or maritime engineering.

What strikes you most is how compact everything is. The torpedo room, the reactor compartment (viewing only), the officers' quarters squeezed into spaces you'd struggle to change your mind in. Kids often find it engaging - there's something about the novelty of climbing through hatches and seeing where grown men ate, slept and worked in the depths. Teenagers interested in military history will get proper value here.

It's best visited as part of a wider Solent trip rather than in isolation. Pair it with time at nearby Kingfisher Caravan Park or Mill Rythe Coastal Village, both within easy reach of Lee-on-the-Solent's seafront and the New Forest beyond. You'll want a good two to three hours to do the submarine justice - rushing it defeats the purpose. Allow longer if you're reading the interpretation boards properly.

The museum shop and café are decent enough. Admission isn't free, though prices are reasonable for a specialist attraction. Go on a clear day if possible - the surrounding views across the Solent make the whole experience more rewarding. Not a five-minute photo stop; this is for people who genuinely want to understand how submarine life actually worked.