Southend Pier

You can see Southend Pier stretching into the Thames estuary like a proper Victorian statement of intent. It's the longest pleasure pier in the world - 1.3 miles of boardwalk, amusement arcades, fish and chips, and the sort of end-of-pier entertainment that's been pulling crowds here since 1889. The pier train runs the full length if your legs aren't up for the walk, though frankly the stroll gives you time to take in the views across the water towards the Kent coast.

It's family gold, honestly. Kids will lose an hour minimum to the arcades alone, and there's something about the combination of fairground nostalgia, dodgy fairground food, and that seaside air that just works. The pier pavilion hosts live entertainment depending on season. If the weather's kind, you'll find it's genuinely pleasant - locals and daytrippers mixing on the boards, the smell of salt and fried food, seagulls waiting for dropped ice cream.

Assuming free entry to the pier itself (though rides and attractions cost extra), it's the sort of place you can dip in and out of. An hour if you're rushed, three hours if you settle into it. From Rochester, it's straightforward enough to reach. Stay at Haven Kent Coast Holiday Park or Essex Glamping and you've got easy access here - the former's reliable family stuff, the latter if you fancy glamping with a bit more style. Southend's brash and doesn't pretend otherwise, which is rather its charm.