Sarah Thorne Memorial Theatre

The Sarah Thorne Memorial Theatre sits in Birchington, a modest venue that punches above its weight for a small coastal town. Built to honour the Victorian actress and theatre impresario who made her name here, it's an unexpectedly proper theatre with a working stage, dressing rooms, and that lovely worn-in atmosphere you get from venues that have actually been used for over a century.

You're not looking at a grand West End experience here. This is community theatre territory - amateur dramatic groups, local productions, the occasional touring show. But that's precisely the appeal if you're staying at Birchington Vale Holiday Park and fancy a night out that doesn't involve screaming kids or sticky carpet. The theatre has genuine character; you can feel the history of local performances seeping from the walls.

It's worth checking what's on when you book your park stay, as programming varies wildly. A good amateur production can be genuinely entertaining, though equally you might catch something that's... well, amateur. The venue itself is free to look around during the day if nobody's performing, though you'll need to catch a show to sit inside properly.

Allow an evening, not a daytime attraction. It works brilliantly as a diversion from the usual seaside routine if you've got teenagers who need dragging away from amusement arcades, or if you just want something distinctly local rather than the tourist circuit.