Fossilwise

The cliffs around Bridport are a fossil hunter's fever dream, and Fossilwise is where you actually learn what you're looking at. It's not a museum in the traditional sense - more a working fossil preparation studio where you can watch experts extract and clean specimens pulled from the surrounding Jurassic rocks. The real thrill is seeing 180-million-year-old ammonites and belemnites emerge from their stone tombs, bit by bit. You'll leave understanding why these cliffs matter geologically and why the sea keeps spitting out treasure.

Historic rock nerds will have the time of their lives here. Kids aged eight and up tend to stay engaged for a good hour, especially if they're allowed to handle some of the finished pieces. Anyone with a passing interest in natural history finds themselves surprisingly absorbed - there's something mesmerising about watching patient restoration work unfold in real time.

Allow ninety minutes to two hours, longer if you're the chatty type with the staff. It's worth calling ahead for opening hours and admission fees, as these places don't always advertise online. The location works brilliantly if you're staying at Seadown Holiday Park just down the coast - you can combine it with a proper fossil hunt along the foreshore when the tide's out. The West Bay cliffs themselves are only a short drive away too, so you could make a proper geology day of it. Best visit after winter storms when fresh material has been exposed, though summer crowds are easier to navigate.