Grant WW2 Museum

The Grant WW2 Museum sits just outside Hinckley and pulls together a proper collection of Second World War memorabilia that actually makes you stop and think. Inside you'll find uniforms, weapons, photographs and personal effects - the sort of objects that ground history in reality rather than textbooks.

It's run with genuine enthusiasm by people who know their subject. The displays cover the home front and combat equally, so you get a sense of what the war meant to ordinary people, not just the broad military strokes. Families with kids aged ten and up tend to engage well here; younger children might find it a bit heavy-going unless they're already keen on the period.

Allow a good two hours minimum if you want to read the captions and actually absorb what's on show. Rush it and you'll miss the point. The museum isn't massive, which is refreshing - you won't feel herded through like cattle.

If you're based at nearby 5 Ways Lakes for a park break, this makes a sensible rainy-day diversion or a half-day activity. Hinckley itself is a reasonable town with decent shops and cafes, so you can bundle a visit together with lunch and a wander round the high street. It won't blow your mind as a standalone destination, but combined with local walks and the lakeside parks in the area, it slots in nicely to a Warwickshire itinerary.