Forty minutes from Blackpool's rollercoasters and candyfloss sits a village with a much older story to tell. Ribchester, on the River Ribble in Lancashire's Ribble Valley, is a cluster of old brick cottages, a 12th-century church and the remains of a Roman fort that was founded in 72 AD under the name Bremetennacum Veteranorum. For families wanting to mix seaside holiday time with a dose of history, it's a handy and inexpensive outing.

The Roman legacy is easy to explore on foot. The ruins of the fort's stone granaries, excavated in 1908, stand in greenery near the village centre, and a short walk away is the bathhouse, dating to around 100 AD. Information boards explain what you're looking at; this was where soldiers and townsfolk took hot and cold plunges, essentially a spa day for the occupation-era set.

The small Ribchester Roman Museum, open since 1915 and housed in a cottage-style building just steps from the granaries, ties it all together. Weapons, pottery, ancient shoes and other finds from the fort are on display, and it has a reputation for being far better than its size suggests. Admission is £4 for adults and free for children five and under. Hands-on activities like trying on Roman clothing and making Roman-style jewellery mean kids genuinely stay engaged — one family with children aged seven and four reported spending three hours there without a dull moment.

Beyond the ruins, Ribchester stacks up nicely for families. There's a rustic playground just around the corner from the museum, and Potters Barn combines a quirky rainbow-coloured cafe with pottery painting — soup, sandwiches and a children's menu if you just want to eat. The White Bull, an elegant 18th-century pub, has a dedicated kids' menu and in summer has been known to offer a free meal for children under 12 (book ahead). St Wilfrid's Church, with stonework dating to the 12th century, rounds out the old-England atmosphere.

Why bother? Because it solves a common holiday problem: keeping children entertained beyond the beach. A summer day here — June to September typically brings mild highs in the 60s Fahrenheit — costs next to nothing, and you can still be back on Blackpool's pier by evening. If one Roman site isn't enough, the market town of Kirkham is about 30 minutes away with more Roman roots, markets and places to eat. Blackpool also has cottages available through Airbnb if you'd rather base yourself at the coast and do Ribchester as a day trip.

Who's it for: families with primary-school-age kids, history fans who like their ruins understated and crowd-free, and anyone using Blackpool as a Lancashire base who fancies one day that isn't all amusement rides. Check the museum's website before you go, as it operates seasonal hours and occasional closures.

Thanks to Islands for the original story.