G

et a glimpse of life in Britain before the railways. Gloucester docks was once a hive of activity for boats of all shapes and sizes, which ferried goods up and down the length of Britain before the trains took over.

You'll find the Waterways Museum in a rather grand-looking Grade II-listed building right on the docks, and it's packed with boats, hands-on displays that capture the kids' imagination and (our favourite) real working engines. There's nothing like the smell of burning coal to wake you up in the morning.

Outside, meanwhile, you can get to grips with bona fide historic boats – like the steam dredger, SND No4, an old fashioned tug called Severn Progress, and a whole bunch of narrowboats. There's even a steam-powered crane that was used to unload cargo into the warehouses, and if you ask nicely there are volunteers on hand to fire it up for a quick demo.

One thing you really shouldn't miss while you're here is a boat trip. For £1,50 you can hop aboard the narrowboat, Centaur, for a half-hour jaunt along the historic canal with an expert tour guide, who'll give you all the old stories about the characters who once lived and worked alongside the water.

If only life was that simple nowadays...