Brean Theme Park

Fair warning: Brean Theme Park is less Alton Towers and more seaside amusement arcade with delusions of grandeur. It's a modest collection of rides and attractions crammed along the seafront near Burnham-on-Sea, the sort of place where families with young kids kill an afternoon without spending a fortune.

You'll find the usual suspects here - a dodgem track, a log flume, arcade games, and various fairground rides that have seen better days. The beach setting works in its favour; at least you're not staring at concrete and tarmac. On a decent summer's day, there's something appealingly retro about the whole setup. Kids under ten will have a proper time of it. Teenagers? They'll be bored within ninety minutes.

The real question is whether it's worth your while when you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks - and there are plenty of them. Dolphin Caravan Park and Yellow Sands Holiday Park are practically on your doorstep, so proximity alone makes it convenient. If you're here for a proper beach holiday, Brean Theme Park works as a wet-day backup or a quick outing, not a destination in itself.

Admission and opening hours aren't exactly advertised with fanfare, which tells you something. Ring ahead before making the trip. The actual beach at Brean is better than the theme park anyway - a long stretch of sand backed by the Somerset levels that's far more rewarding for a proper walk. Save your money and head there instead.