Stevenage Museum

The museum sits in the town centre and tells the story of Stevenage from its medieval roots through to its post-war new town boom. You'll find local pottery, Roman bits, and quite a lot about the 1950s-60s overspill housing scheme that transformed the place into something entirely new. It's small but focused - no meandering through endless rooms.

For history types and anyone curious about how Britain reinvented itself after the war, it's genuinely interesting. Kids might get restless if they're after hands-on stuff, though there are usually a few interactive elements. The real draw is understanding Stevenage itself - how a sleepy Hertfordshire market town became a motorway-side corporation, complete with its own shopping centre and planned neighbourhoods.

The museum is free to visit, which is proper generous. Allow 45 minutes to an hour, longer if you're really into local history. Staff are usually helpful if you ask about specific periods. If you're based at one of the caravan parks nearby - Almshoe Glamping and Jacks Hill are close enough for a rainy afternoon visit - it's worth popping into. It'll take the sting out of dodgy weather without eating up your whole day. Hitchin, just a few miles south, has more charm and better pubs, but Stevenage Museum gives you the context you'll need to appreciate how different the two towns really are.