Vintage Hand-cranked Drill

A hand-cranked drill doesn't sound like the sort of thing that would pull you away from the seafront at Bexhill-on-Sea, but this gallery makes a surprisingly solid case for it. The collection focuses on vintage engineering tools - the kind of kit that built Britain before electricity did most of the work. You're looking at mechanical ingenuity from an era when getting the job done meant muscle and precision rather than batteries.

It's the sort of place that appeals to a very specific crowd: engineering enthusiasts, anyone who finds themselves oddly fascinated by how things worked before they got complicated, or folks keen to show their kids what their granddad's workshop actually looked like. The drill itself is a beautiful bit of craftsmanship - all metal and purpose-built, nothing wasted. There are other tools on display too, each one a minor marvel of mechanical thinking.

Visiting from one of the nearby parks - Park Holidays UK is barely half a mile away - means you can slot this in on a drizzly afternoon without it feeling like wasted time. Combe Haven is close enough as well if you're staying there. The Sussex coast isn't short on attractions, but this one won't eat up your whole day. An hour, tops, unless you're genuinely into the engineering side of things.

Specific details about admission and opening hours aren't readily available, so ring ahead before you go. It's the kind of specialist spot that runs on its own schedule.