Weston Museum

The Weston Museum sits in Burnham-on-Sea, a proper seaside town that's seen better days but hasn't lost its charm. Inside you'll find the usual local history fare - Victorian photographs, Roman finds, bits of pottery - the sort of stuff that matters hugely if your ancestors lived here, and keeps you entertained for an hour or so if they didn't.

It's the kind of place where a rainy afternoon suddenly becomes productive. School groups turn up regularly, and there's enough to hold kids' attention without them climbing the walls, though don't expect interactive exhibits or anything flashy. You get genuine artefacts instead - settlement remains, domestic objects, things that actually tell you how people lived along the Somerset coast rather than just looked nice in a display case.

Burnham-on-Sea itself is genuinely worth a wander. The seafront's less frantic than Weston-super-Mare down the coast, the pier's still standing, and there's a decent stretch of sand when the tide's out. If you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Channel View's practically on your doorstep at 2.8 miles, with Golden Sands, Yellow Sands and the others all within five miles - you could easily slot the museum into a morning before heading to the beach or Brean Theme Park if you've got younger kids in tow.

Check opening hours before you go, mind. It's the sort of local institution that sometimes closes unexpectedly or runs limited winter hours. Free entry is likely but worth confirming.