Tolpuddle Old Chapel Trust

The Tolpuddle Old Chapel Trust occupies a modest 19th-century building in this small Dorset village, about four miles south of Dorchester. Inside, you'll find exhibits focused on the Tolpuddle Martyrs - the six agricultural labourers who were arrested and transported to Australia in 1834 for swearing illegal oaths as part of an early trade union. It's a sobering bit of working-class history, told through documents, photographs and period artefacts that illustrate just how brutal the authorities were to men simply trying to improve their wages and conditions.

This appeals most to history buffs and anyone interested in the roots of British labour movements. The chapel itself has character - cramped, intimate, genuinely evocative of the era. You won't need more than 45 minutes here unless you're really into the subject matter, but it's the kind of place that sticks with you. Combine it with a walk round Tolpuddle village itself, which has a decent pub and sits in proper rural Dorset countryside.

If you're camped at one of the nearby sites - Parkdean Resorts Warmwell Holiday Park or Crossways Caravan and Motorhome Club are closest - this makes an easy afternoon detour. Dorchester itself, with its Roman history and Thomas Hardy connections, is worth a proper day. The chapel won't dazzle anyone looking for spectacle, but if you want to understand how ordinary people fought for their rights, it's well worth the short drive.