Ilfracombe Museum

The museum sits right in Ilfracombe town centre, occupying a Victorian building that feels appropriately stuffed with the sort of local bits and pieces that make a seaside town actually interesting. You'll find Victorian photographs, artefacts from the town's fishing heritage, and displays about the geology and natural history of the North Devon coast - nothing flashy, but genuinely worth an hour of your time if you're staying in the area.

It's the kind of place where you learn something unexpected. There's proper detail about how Ilfracombe worked as a working harbour before it became a holiday destination, and the Victorian era collection gives you a real sense of what life looked like here 150 years ago. Kids might find it a bit slow unless they're into local history, but adults - especially anyone interested in how British coastal towns evolved - will get something out of it.

With Hele Valley Holiday Park just over a mile away, and Sandaway Beach Holiday Park and Woolacombe Bay Holiday Park within easy reach, this fits nicely into a caravan or camping holiday exploring the North Devon coast. Combine it with a walk down to Ilfracombe Harbour or the coastal path heading towards Woolacombe, and you've got yourself a proper afternoon. The museum gives you context for what you're seeing around the town - which makes the whole place make more sense.