W. Heath Robinson

The home of W. Heath Robinson, the cartoonist and illustrator who drew those gloriously mad contraptions for a living, sits quietly in Buckinghamshire just outside Watford. This is where the man behind the impossibly intricate mechanical drawings - all pulleys and springs and things going sideways when they should go forwards - actually lived and worked. You can see his studio, browse his original sketches, and finally understand why "Heath Robinson" became slang for any overly complicated contraption that barely functions.

It's a modest sort of pilgrimage, really. The house is full of his drawings and personal effects, and if you've got even a passing interest in early 20th-century illustration or just enjoy the absurdity of his designs, it's genuinely worth an afternoon. Families with kids who like drawing will get something from it, though younger children might lose interest after an hour - his humour is clever rather than visual slapstick. The house itself is charming without being grand, which somehow feels right for a man who spent his life drawing the decidedly unimpressive.

If you're based at one of the nearby parks - Heritage Park Homes at Bushey Hall is barely four miles away - this makes a pleasant rainy-day option or a cultural break between walks. Aldenham Country Park is close by too, so you could combine it with outdoor time. Check opening hours before you go; details aren't widely advertised. Free or modest admission, most likely.