Russell Cotes Museum

The Russell Cotes Museum sits in Christchurch like something from a Victorian novel - a proper mansion filled with the obsessive collecting habits of one couple who actually had the means to indulge them. Merton Russell-Cotes and his wife Annie were travellers who couldn't resist dragging home treasures from across the globe, and the result is a house crammed with Japanese art, Italian paintings, Egyptian antiquities, and furniture that tells you everything about late-19th-century taste - for better or worse.

Inside, you wander through rooms that feel lived-in despite being a museum. There's a theatrical quality to it all, which makes sense given Merton was fascinated by the performing arts. The collection sprawls across multiple levels, and while some visitors find it overwhelming, others love the ungoverned chaos of it. Kids generally get through it in about ninety minutes, though adults who care about the backstory could easily spend three hours here.

The museum is free entry, which seems almost impossible given the scale and quality of what's on display. Allow a couple of hours if you're not rushing, longer if you're the type to read every label.

It pairs well with a stay at nearby Meadowbank Holidays or Sandhills Holiday Park - both within easy reach of Christchurch town centre. If you're doing a broader Dorset coast trip, this works as a rainy-day option, though it's good enough to merit a visit regardless. The town itself is worth an afternoon too.