Admiral Ramsay

Admiral Ramsay's headquarters sits quietly near Dover, a place where serious World War II history happened behind closed doors. This is where the man himself orchestrated Operation Dynamo - the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940 - from an underground command centre. You're looking at the actual nerve centre of one of Britain's most crucial military operations, which makes it properly significant even if the site itself is modest.

The appeal here is mainly for history buffs and anyone keen on wartime strategy. If your kids are into that sort of thing, they'll find it compelling; if they're not, forty minutes might feel like forty hours. The setting is atmospheric rather than flashy - it's the weight of what happened there that matters, not grand displays.

The site is close enough to Dover that you could work it into a wider visit to the town's other attractions, and staying at one of the nearby parks like Parkdean Resorts St Margaret's Bay Holiday Park (just 2.4 miles away) gives you easy access without feeling too touristy. Hawthorn Farm Holiday Park is similarly handy at 3.1 miles if you want somewhere quieter.

Do check opening hours and admission fees before you go - details aren't pinned down here, and there's nothing worse than driving out expecting a visit and finding it closed. The spot rewards people who know their D-Day and Dunkirk history; if that's you, it's genuinely worth the trip.