Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum

You'll find yourself walking around actual warbird aircraft on a Suffolk airfield just outside Halesworth - Lancasters, Mosquitoes, Fortresses. The Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum is essentially a working airfield with a serious collection of restored planes you can get properly close to, which beats looking at them through museum glass.

The museum covers the airfield's role in World War II and beyond. You walk between hangars seeing restoration work in progress, vintage vehicles, and memorabilia from crews who flew from here. It's not slick or overly curated - more the real deal. History enthusiasts will spend three hours here easily. Kids interested in planes will love it for an afternoon, though younger children might find it heavy going if they're not genuinely into aircraft.

Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm (closed Thursday and Friday). Admission costs aren't listed on the website, so ring ahead or check when you book. Allow two to three hours minimum, longer if you're after the full experience.

It sits well with a camping holiday around here. Green Haven and Wardley Hill are both within five miles - proper bases for exploring the Suffolk coast and countryside. If you're after something different, Dawn Chorus's safari tents and shepherd huts on a working farm are about the same distance. The museum makes a solid half-day trip if you're based at any of these spots, especially on a drizzly East Anglian morning when outdoor attractions lose their appeal.