Children's library

The children's library in Beverley is one of those quietly brilliant spots that keeps kids genuinely engaged for hours without anyone feeling like they're doing them a favour. It's a proper working library, not a museum piece, so the collection changes regularly and the staff actually know what they're talking about when you ask for recommendations.

You'll find everything from picture books for the under-fives through to young adult fiction, plus they usually have activity stations dotted about - colouring, puzzles, craft bits. The space is well laid out, bright without being frantic. Parents can actually sit down without feeling like they're in the way.

It's free to use and you can spend anything from 45 minutes to a full afternoon depending on how into it your kids get. Worth checking their events calendar before you go - they often run story times and summer reading programmes that can tip a casual visit into something more memorable.

If you're camping nearby at Manor Farm or Spring Valley, this is a solid rainy-day option that doesn't feel like you're compromising on the holiday. Beverley itself has enough going on - the Minster is worth a wander, there's decent ice cream near the town centre - that you could easily make a proper morning of it. Not flashy, but genuinely useful if you've got young readers in tow.