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Around London | History and Nature | Museums and Attractions | Beaches

Museums and Attractions

Bekonscot Model Village, Bucks
If you’re not charmed by this intricate Lilliputian version of England, you’ve got no soul. Its first incarnation was built in 1929, making it the oldest model village in the world. With the ’60s came pressure to install some brutalist municipal buildings, to mirror the newly concreted town centres beyond Bekonscot, but in our nostalgic present, the village has been returned to a mythical 1930s-inspired idyll of castles, churches and, of course, cricket.
Bekonscot Model Village, Warwick Rd, Beaconsfield, Bucks (01494 672 919/www.bekonscot.com). Rail: Marylebone to Beaconsfield, 35 minutes (www.chilternrailways.co.uk). Road: M25, exit 16. Feature continues

Bentley Wildfowl and Motor Museum, East Sussex
If you like beautiful cars and shiny birds, you’ll be in heaven. More than 1,000 swans, geese and ducks from all over the world, and an array of polished vintage cars and motorcycles are here to be admired. A host of other attractions includes craftspeople, gardens and an adventure playground.
Bentley Wildfowl and Motor Museum, Halland, nr Lewes, East Sussex (01825 840 573/www.bentley.org.uk). Rail: Uckfield or Lewes stations, one hour, then taxi. Road: A22, then follow signs.

Bluebell Railway and Lewes, East Sussex
Lewes is all a county town should be, with its cobbled streets and air of quintessential English gentility. In the summer, take a ride on the Bluebell Railway, which runs nearby from Kingscote. Established in its present guise in 1960, it became the first preserved standard gauge passenger line in the world.
Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park Station, Sussex (01825 723777/www.bluebell-railway.co.uk). Rail: Victoria to East Grinstead, 55 minutes, then 473 bus. Road: M23 exit 10.

Chatham Dockyard, Kent
This being the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar as well as Year of the Sea, it’s a fine time to visit Kent’s vast dock area where Nelson started his career in 1771. It’s packed with stuff for kids, including an interactive radio-controlled boat, a mock ship fight and a soft-play area. Grown-ups will enjoy the Georgian and Victorian buildings. Over the bank holiday weekend (August 28-29), there’s a Medway Maritime Festival when themed islands will showcase all things maritime alongside music inspired by the sea.
Chatham Dockyard, Kent (01634 823800/www.chdt.org.uk). Rail: Victoria to Chatham, 45 minutes. Road: A2 towards Dover then follow signs.

Diggerland, Kent
A little (and big) boy’s dream, this specialist theme-park lets you drive heavy machinery like JCBs and trucks. Children (and keen parents) have the opportunity to ride and drive dump trucks, mini diggers and giant diggers. There’s also a bouncy castle, ride-on toys, an enormous sandpit and a train for those not so keen to get behind the wheel. From November, fake snow is shipped in and the theme park becomes a snow park with a 100m tubing run, a 50m main slope and a huge play area for building snowmen.
Diggerland, Medway Valley, Leisure Park, Roman Way, Strood, Kent (08700 344 437/www.diggerland.com). Rail: Charing Cross to Strood, one hour, then taxi. Road: M2 exit 2, then A228 towards Strood.

Hop Farm Country Park, Kent
Set among the world’s largest collection of Victorian oast houses, this old Hop Farm now boasts an interactive museum with children’s playgrounds, play barns, go-karts, crazy golf, dray carts pulled by robust shire horses and activities galore. There are plenty of events and activities going on to keep the whole family occupied – this summer sees the ‘Storyland’ event where famous fictional characters appear and monster truck racing on August 20 and 21.
Beltring, Paddock Wood, Kent (01622 872068/www.thehopfarm.co.uk). Rail: Charing Cross to Paddock Wood, 50 minutes, from £11. Road: A2 towards Tonbridge then follow signs.

Legoland, Berkshire
Children of pacifist parents will have fond memories of those tiny plastic bricks which could be made into an array of primary-coloured firearms. Now you can take your kids to the park, where everything is on a much more impressive scale and tots will be agog. Slightly older children will appreciate the bigger rides. Better than you’d imagine, and kids seem to adore it.
Legoland, Winkfield Rd, Windsor, Berks (08705 040404/www.lego.com/legoland/windsor). Rail: Waterloo to Windsor and Eton Riverside, 50 minutes. Road: M4 exit 6 for B3022.

Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
Right next to Southend-on-Sea, this might not initially sound like everyone’s idea of a cultural day out. But, far more than being the posh bit of ‘Sarfend’, Leigh is home to a thriving arts and crafts movement. Old Leigh, down by the estuary, has a quaint old museum, a decent restaurant (The Boatyard) and even a couple of cockle stalls (vinegar and plastic fork included).
Rail: Fenchurch St to Leigh-on-Sea, 45 minutes. Road: A13, follow signs to Southend.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Honour Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar by boarding the ship that witnessed Horatio’s finest (and last) hour? Beautifully restored and hugely impressive, HMS Victory rests at Portsmouth’s historic dockyard along with the world’s first iron warship, HMS Warrior, and the remains of the Mary Rose. It’s still home to the Navy, so you might even glimpse one of its modern-day grey warships in the adjacent working dockyard.
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Flagship Portsmouth Trust Visitor Centre, Victory Gate, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, Hants (023 9283 9766/ www.flagship.org.uk). Rail: Waterloo to Portsmouth, one hour 30 minutes. Road: A3, A27.

Around London | History and Nature | Museums and Attractions | Beaches