Horsham Museum

The Horsham Museum sits right in the heart of town, housed in a Victorian building that gives you a proper sense of what local heritage actually looks like - no polished corporate nonsense, just genuine artefacts and the sort of displays that make you think "oh, that's interesting" rather than forcing you to read twenty-panel essays about social context.

Inside you'll find everything from Saxon pottery to Victorian trade goods, plus information about the town's medieval past and industrial development. The local history section is particularly strong if you're into that sort of thing - maps, documents, photographs showing how Horsham has changed. There's also rotating exhibitions that vary seasonally, so it's worth checking what's on before you visit.

It's free to get in, which is excellent news if you're camping at one of the nearby sites - Raylands Country Park and Sands Farm Weekend Camping are both within a couple of miles, making this an easy rainy-day option. You won't need more than an hour or so unless you're genuinely fascinated by local history; it's a modest place, not a sprawling operation. Kids might get restless unless they're the type who actually enjoy reading about old buildings and artefacts, but it's handy to have in your back pocket.

The museum works best as part of a wider explore of Horsham itself - a sensible market town with decent shops and places to eat, not a destination in itself but absolutely worth a morning if you're basing yourself at any of the surrounding campsites.