The Assembly Rooms

The Assembly Rooms in Bath are what you get when Georgian society decided to show off. Built in 1771, this is where Bath's wealthy elite came to dance, gamble, and see who could wear the most ridiculous outfit - basically the Instagram of the 1700s, but with better manners and worse teeth. The rooms themselves are genuinely impressive: soaring ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and that particular shade of pale blue-green that somehow only exists in period houses. You'll walk through the ballroom where Jane Austen's characters mingled, the tea room where gossip was currency, and the card room where fortunes changed hands. The Fashion Museum occupies the lower floors, which is either brilliant or tedious depending on whether you care about waistcoat construction circa 1790.

It's a National Trust property, so admission is either free for members or a few quid otherwise. Allow a couple of hours maximum - the rooms look splendid but there's limited actual content. History buffs will find it worthwhile, particularly those who've read their Austen; families with kids under ten might struggle with the lack of hands-on engagement. The nearest town is Bath itself, naturally, and if you're camping at Campwell Farm just four miles out, this makes an easy afternoon break from walking and swimming. Combine it with the Roman Baths or Bath Abbey to make a proper cultural day of it.