Victoria and Albert Museum

The V&A is absolutely massive - five floors of everything from medieval armour to Alexander McQueen dresses, and honestly, you can't see it all in one visit. Plan on getting properly lost in there. The decorative arts collection is world-class; the fashion galleries alone will have you wandering for hours if you're into that sort of thing. Families with older kids do well here because there's enough variety that no one gets bored the moment you walk in, though younger children might hit a wall after two hours or so.

The building itself is worth the visit - that red brick Victorian facade on Cromwell Road is instantly recognisable, and the courtyard with the fountains is a proper spot to decompress between galleries. Admission is free, which is genuinely brilliant value given the scale of what's on offer. You'll want at least three to four hours minimum, longer if you're serious about it.

If you're staying at Lovat Parks just over a mile away, this is an easy trip into South Kensington - the Natural History Museum and Science Museum are basically next door, so you could easily spend several days just working through this corner of London. Go midweek if you can; weekends get rammed with school groups and tourists, and it's impossible to get a proper look at anything.