Liskeard Museum

The museum sits right in Liskeard town centre, a small Victorian building that punches well above its weight for a place this size. Inside, you'll find local history crammed into a few rooms - artefacts from the tin mining days that once made this place proper wealthy, pottery, photographs, and the sort of oddments that only make sense if you're genuinely curious about how ordinary people lived here centuries ago.

It's the kind of museum that rewards a proper look rather than a quick dash through. The volunteers who run it actually know their stuff and will chat your ear off if you let them. You won't need more than an hour, maybe ninety minutes if you're the thorough type. History enthusiasts will find it worthwhile; younger kids might get restless unless they're already into museums.

Looe, just five miles south, makes a natural pairing with a visit here - combine a morning at the museum with an afternoon exploring the fishing harbour and beaches. If you're staying at one of the nearby parks like Lydcott Glamping or Waterside at Tregoad, Liskeard itself is an easy drive, and you get a genuine sense of a working Cornish market town rather than just the coastal touristy bits. Check opening hours before you go - it's volunteer-run, so times can be a bit variable. Free or very cheap admission, which at least means you're not out of pocket if it's not your cup of tea.