Portrait Bench - Jamie Clark, Vera Lynn, Ian Fleming

Near Dover, you'll find a rather unusual gallery dedicated to portrait benches - and yes, that's exactly as specific as it sounds. Three benches, each commemorating a notable figure: Jamie Clark, Vera Lynn, and Ian Fleming. It's the sort of thing that makes you do a double-take when you stumble across it.

The whole setup is straightforward enough. You rock up, have a look at the benches, read the inscriptions, and that's largely that. There's no grand exhibition space or interactive displays - this is memorial art in its most literal form. History buffs will appreciate the local connections, particularly the Ian Fleming link given his Kent roots and wartime intelligence work. Vera Lynn's bench will resonate with anyone interested in wartime Britain and cultural heritage.

This isn't a destination you'd build a holiday around on its own. But if you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Parkdean Resorts at St Margaret's Bay is only a couple of miles away, or Hawthorn Farm and Varne Ridge aren't much further - it's worth a twenty-minute detour while you're in the area. Combine it with coastal walks around Dover or a proper visit to Dover Castle and you've got a decent morning sorted.

There's no admission fee (it's benches), takes about fifteen minutes, and you can visit any time. Best in decent weather, obviously - standing about looking at benches in the rain loses its charm quickly. Kids might find it dull unless they're genuinely interested in the people commemorated.