Martlesham Heath Control Tower

The Control Tower at Martlesham Heath is a genuine slice of Cold War aviation history, sat just east of Woodbridge in Suffolk. This is the real thing - the actual RAF operations centre from the 1950s onwards, where radar operators tracked Soviet aircraft during some seriously tense decades. You walk inside and the atmosphere hits you immediately. Radio equipment, maps, plotting tables, the whole apparatus of aerial defence frozen in time.

It's a working museum run by enthusiasts who actually know their stuff, and that makes all the difference. You'll spend a good two hours here if you're at all interested in military history or the paranoia of the Cold War era. Aircraft spotters and history buffs will find it utterly absorbing. Families with younger children might find it a bit dry unless they're already keen on the subject - there's not much interactive element, and reading-heavy displays don't hold attention well.

If you're staying at one of the nearby caravan sites - Moon & Sixpence is barely a mile away, or Steadings Park just over two miles - this works as a decent rainy-day activity or a couple-hour diversion from the park itself. It's free entry, or a small donation keeps things running. Check ahead though, as opening times are limited and seasonal. The surrounding countryside is fairly flat and unremarkable, but the tower itself is a proper find for anyone interested in post-war Britain.