Rustington Museum

The museum sits quietly in Rustington village, just outside Worthing, and manages to pack far more local character into its small space than you'd expect. Run by volunteers, it's the sort of place that reveals itself gradually - Victorian artefacts, Roman finds from the surrounding area, photographs charting how a sleepy seaside village transformed over the decades. You'll find genuine local history here rather than polished interpretive panels.

The volunteers know their stuff and actually want to chat, which makes a real difference. If you're the type who enjoys piecing together how ordinary people lived - the shopkeepers, the fishermen, the families who built homes here - you'll get hours from a visit. Children might find it less gripping unless they're already history-minded, though the Roman section usually catches their attention.

It's free to visit, which is decent of them, though a small donation helps keep the lights on. Plan for 45 minutes to an hour depending on how deeply you want to explore. Go on a weekday if you can - quieter and easier to chat with staff.

Based a mile or so from the village centre, it works well as a half-day alongside a walk along the Sussex coast. Several caravan parks sit within a couple of miles - Littlehampton Caravan Club and Brook Lane are closest - making it easy to work into a touring itinerary around Worthing and the surrounding coast.