Grimsby · GB

Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre

Tucked into the working water frontage of Alexandra Dock, the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre is a multi-award-winning museum that throws you straight back into the 1950s, when Grimsby was celebrated as the world's premier fishing port. Rather than a quiet room of display cases, the visit is staged like a journey: you sign on as a crew member, leave your 1950s Grimsby home behind and follow the trawlermen out to the perilous Arctic fishing grounds before coming back to the snug comfort of a recreated pub. Carefully crafted sets, original trawler interiors and a wall of sights, sounds and smells give a visceral sense of what was one of the most dangerous peacetime jobs in Britain. The centre's star attraction is moored just outside the front door: Ross Tiger, a restored diesel side-trawler you can actually climb aboard and tour with guides who are, very often, retired trawlermen themselves. Alongside her you'll find two more preserved vessels, while inside the Galley Cafe, a gift shop and changing exhibitions round out a visit that is equally popular with curious families and anyone fascinated by Britain's maritime working life.