Museum Of Design In Plastics

You walk into a converted Victorian building in Christchurch and suddenly you're surrounded by plastic - but not in the way you'd expect. The Museum of Design in Plastics is genuinely absorbing, tracing how this material went from laboratory curiosity to the stuff holding your life together.

The collection spans everything from early Bakelite jewellery and vintage kitchen ware to contemporary design pieces that make you reassess what you thought plastic could be. There's something oddly satisfying about seeing the evolution laid out chronologically - watching design move from clunky 1950s utilitarianism into the sleeker, occasionally questionable experiments of the 1980s.

It's a museum that appeals more to design enthusiasts and curious adults than young children, though teenagers with an interest in materials and manufacturing will find it engaging. You're looking at maybe an hour here, ninety minutes if you read the labels properly. The setting in Christchurch itself is useful - the town's got decent high street shops and a river walk if you need to stretch your legs before or after.

If you're based at one of the nearby holiday parks - Haven Rockley Park or the Shorefield sites around the New Forest edge - this makes an easy half-day outing when the weather's iffy. It won't blow your mind, but it's the sort of place that sticks with you. Check their website for current opening hours and admission fees before you head over, as these things change seasonally.