Predannack Anti-Aircraft Battery and Museum

The anti-aircraft battery sits on the Lizard Peninsula, just inland from Helston, and you're walking through actual wartime defences - concrete gun emplacements, searchlight platforms, the lot. It's a proper working museum run by enthusiasts who clearly know their stuff, and they'll talk your ear off about the Luftwaffe raids and what life was like here during the war.

You get to clamber around the bunkers and see the original equipment still in place. The whole site takes about an hour to do properly, maybe two if you're asking questions. It's windswept and exposed - bring a coat even in summer - but that's part of the appeal. You're standing where men stood during air raids, which hits different when you're actually there.

History types will love it. Kids can run around and explore, though under-eights might find the detail a bit dry. It's free or a small donation, depending on the day. Admission details are best confirmed before you head out.

If you're staying at Henry's Camp Site or The Secret Garden Glamping, it's a short drive. The Lizard itself is right there with proper cliffside walks and a lighthouse, so you could easily string together a morning here and an afternoon mucking about on the coast. Worth the detour if you're interested in 1940s Britain, less so if you're just after a quick family day out.