Lakes Aquarium

The tanks here are proper educational without feeling like a school trip. You're walking through displays of freshwater and tropical fish, with everything from pike and perch to piranhas and seahorses. It's the kind of place where kids will actually stop and stare instead of dragging you toward the exit.

The aquarium sits near the A590, making it easy to slot into a Lake District caravan holiday without much faffing about. If you're staying at Newby Bridge Country Caravan Park or Hill of Oaks just down the road, it's barely worth the car journey - more of a "it's raining and we need something indoors for an hour" sort of stop. For families with younger children especially, it fills a gap.

Allow about 90 minutes to actually read the signs and let the kids press their noses against the glass. You'll spend longer if you've got fish enthusiasts in tow; casual visitors tend to move through faster. The setting near Windermere means you could combine it with a lakeside walk or a trip to the water's edge, though the aquarium itself won't anchor a whole day.

Pricing and opening hours aren't locked down in the information I've got, so ring ahead before you go. It's the sort of attraction that works best as a supplement to your park break rather than the main event - handy, convenient, and useful when the weather turns.