Queenborough Library

Queenborough Library sits in the heart of Sheerness, a proper working library rather than a tourist attraction, but that's precisely why it's worth popping into if you're staying at one of the nearby holiday parks. It's the kind of place locals actually use - browsing the shelves, settling into a chair with a book, maybe picking up the latest hardback without forking out twenty quid.

The building itself is straightforward, nothing fancy, but that's fine. You get a decent selection of fiction and non-fiction, kids' sections if you've brought the young ones, and access to computers if you need to check emails or print something. It's particularly useful if you're halfway through a book and can't face lugging it around, or if rainy weather has driven you off the Isle of Sheppey's beaches.

Opening hours are a touch limited - closed Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays, with varying times across the week. Best bets are Tuesday and Friday afternoons from 1pm, or Saturday mornings from 9am. Thursday mornings work too if you're an early riser. Admission is free, naturally.

Honestly, this works best as a secondary stop rather than a destination in itself. If you're based at Sheerness Holiday Park or any of the other parks within a few miles - Ashcroft Coast or Shurland Dale - and the weather turns grim, it fills a gap nicely. Twenty minutes to an hour, depending on whether you're a serious browser or just after today's paper.