Quantum Tunneling Telescope

Tim Hunkin's Quantum Tunneling Telescope sits on the Suffolk coast near Southwold, a proper one-off creation that's equal parts art installation and working optical gadget. You're looking at a handmade contraption that lets you peer through a tunnel of lenses to catch views across the water - the kind of thing that stops you mid-walk because it's so refreshingly odd.

It's free to use, which matters when you're just passing through. The telescope itself is robust, clearly built to withstand East Anglian weather, and genuinely works. On a clear day you'll spot details across the sea that your naked eye simply won't catch. Kids find it absorbing for a solid ten minutes, though adults tend to linger longer - there's something satisfying about using something so deliberately, mechanically simple in an age of screens.

If you're camping nearby - Pigs in Blankets is less than a mile away, or Henstead Fields just beyond that - it's the sort of detour that takes fifteen minutes and becomes a small highlight of the day. Don't go expecting views to blow your mind; go because Hunkin's installations are quirky and well-executed, and because Southwold itself is worth an afternoon. The coast round here is moody rather than dramatic, which suits the low-key approach. It works best on less windy days when you can actually stand still long enough to focus properly.