Dugdale Centre Museum

The Dugdale Centre Museum in Waltham Cross is one of those places that sneaks up on you. Free entry, which immediately wins points, and it's housed in what was once a proper Victorian villa - you can feel the age in the floorboards. The collection focuses on local history, which sounds dry until you're actually stood there looking at artefacts from the area's industrial past and domestic life going back centuries.

It's intimate rather than sprawling. You won't need more than an hour or so, maybe ninety minutes if you're the type who reads every label. Families with younger kids might find it a bit text-heavy - there's not loads of hands-on stuff - but anyone interested in how ordinary people actually lived will find it absorbing. The volunteers who run it know their stuff and will chat if you ask.

Worth coupling with a stay at nearby Theobalds Park, which is just 2.6 miles away and highly rated. The museum gives you a sense of place for the area, makes you understand why Waltham Cross developed the way it did. Lee Valley Campsite and Fowley Mead are also close by if you're touring the parks. Visit on a weekday if you can - weekends can get a bit crowded, though calling ahead about opening hours is sensible since they're not listed online. It's the sort of place that rewards a proper look around rather than a rushed visit.