The Novium

The Novium sits right in Chichester's city centre, housed in a sleek modern building that wouldn't look out of place in London. It's the town's archaeology museum, and honestly, it punches well above its weight for a place of this size.

Inside you'll find Roman artifacts dug up from around Chichester - coins, pottery, bits of jewellery, things that fell out of people's pockets two thousand years ago. There's also Saxon material and medieval finds. The displays are clean and well-lit, with enough explanatory text that you won't feel lost, but not so much that reading becomes a chore.

Who gets the most from it? Anyone with even a passing interest in archaeology will find something worth their time. Kids who've just started learning about Romans at school tend to engage properly rather than drift toward the gift shop after ten minutes. History enthusiasts will appreciate how thorough it is without being dry.

Admission is free, which is genuinely brilliant value. Allow an hour if you're moving at a reasonable pace, ninety minutes if you're one of those readers who actually digests every label. It's closed Mondays, open Tuesday to Friday 10am-4:30pm, Saturday until 5pm.

If you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Creative Camping is closest at under four miles, or Butlins Bognor if you're after a full-on holiday resort setup - this works as a solid rainy afternoon option or a half-day add-on to exploring Chichester proper. The cathedral's just a walk away, and the city centre's pleasant enough for a browse.