University Of Chester Riverside Museum

The University of Chester Riverside Museum sits right on the water in Chester, and it's genuinely worth a stop if you're camping nearby. The collection focuses on archaeology and local history - Roman finds, medieval bits, that sort of thing - which sounds dry until you're standing in front of actual artefacts that tell you how people lived here centuries ago.

It's not a massive operation, so you'll get through it in about an hour, maybe ninety minutes if you're the type who reads every label. Families with older kids will find it more engaging than the under-tens crowd, unless your lot are already keen on history. The riverside location itself is the real draw - you can potter along the water's edge before or after, which makes it a decent half-day outing rather than a dedicated museum pilgrimage.

Admission details weren't available when I checked, but university museums often run on shoestring budgets, so there's a decent chance it's free or very cheap. Worth ringing ahead to confirm opening hours and whether you need to book. If you're staying at Fir Trees or Netherwood - both within spitting distance - this beats another lap around Chester's town centre. On a grey Welsh afternoon, it's proper worth the ten-minute walk from the caravan parks. Don't expect crowds or queues. You might genuinely be the only visitors there.