Marina's Attic

Marina's Attic sits above the main street in Alford, a market town that feels properly frozen in time. It's essentially a vast junk shop - the kind where you wander up creaking stairs into rooms stuffed with everything from vintage clothes to old postcards, china, furniture, and the sort of bric-a-brac that makes you wonder who kept half this stuff. There's real charm in the haphazard arrangement; you'll stumble on something daft one minute and genuinely interesting the next.

It works best for people who enjoy a rummage rather than those after something specific. Families with older kids who like a treasure hunt atmosphere will get an hour or so out of it. Younger children might find it a bit dusty and overwhelming. The real draw is the sense of discovery - you're essentially having a poke through someone's accumulated life, which sounds morbid but is oddly engaging.

Alford itself is worth a walk around. The windmill on the high street is proper nice, and there's a decent coffee spot or two. If you're based at one of the local caravan parks - Woodthorpe Leisure is closest at under three miles - it's an easy stop between longer walks around the Lincolnshire countryside. The East Midlands coast is also within reach for a day trip.

Be prepared for the fact that opening hours and admission charges aren't clearly advertised, so ring ahead. It's the sort of place run by someone who's not overly concerned with modern marketing, which is either brilliant or irritating depending on your mood.