Portsmouth Grammar School

The red-brick facade of Portsmouth Grammar School catches your eye as you walk through Lee-on-the-Solent - a proper Victorian institution that's been educating children since 1732. It's not the sort of place you can wander round freely, but the building itself tells a story worth stopping for if you're passing through the area.

The school's worth a closer look if you're interested in Georgian and Victorian Hampshire architecture. The main structure is genuinely handsome, and there's something about standing outside a working school that's been operating for nearly three centuries that gives you a sense of local continuity. Fair warning though: you can't tour the interior, and on a busy school day it feels a bit odd lingering around the gates. Best visited early morning or when school's not in session.

For families staying at Kingfisher Caravan Park or Hayling Island Holiday Park, it's an easy detour while exploring Lee-on-the-Solent's waterfront and seaside charm. The town itself has better draws - the seafront, decent pubs, that sort of thing - so this works better as part of a broader ramble than a standalone trip. History buffs will appreciate the longevity; kids will find it moderately dull unless they're genuinely keen on old buildings. You'll spend twenty minutes here at most, taking a few photos and absorbing the atmosphere of an important local landmark.