Lancing Manor Leisure Centre

The leisure centre in Lancing is a proper local hub - the kind of place where you'll find everything from swimming pools to badminton courts under one roof. It's not the sort of attraction that'll occupy a full day on its own, but if you're staying at Onslow Caravan Park nearby and need to burn off some energy without driving far, it's genuinely useful.

Inside you've got pools for every level - shallow ones for small children, lap lanes if you actually know how to swim properly, and the usual leisure pool with its inevitable wave machine. The sports halls host everything you'd expect: badminton, basketball, the lot. Families with kids will find it practical rather than thrilling; teenagers might actually enjoy a morning here if the weather turns sour.

The facilities are clean and well-maintained, though it does have that functional, no-frills council leisure centre feel - nothing fancy, but it does what it says on the tin. Opening hours and admission prices shift seasonally, so check their site before you go. Allow two to three hours if you're doing a full visit with the family.

If you're basing yourself around Lancing for a week, this works as a rainy-day backup or a useful way to tire out the kids without heading into Sussex's busier attractions. It's not worth planning a whole trip around, but it's there when you need it.