Woodland Waters

Belton House is a Grade I listed country house near Grantham, built between 1685 and 1687 for the Brownlow family. It sits within formal gardens, including Italian and Dutch gardens, and a wooded park crossed by avenues leading to follies. The park has been home to a herd of fallow deer for over 300 years.

Tip: There's no need to book for normal visits, and parking is included in the entry fee. Park in the grounds, not in Belton village. Dogs on leads are welcome in the gardens, parkland and café, but not in the house or playgrounds.

Twinlakes is a 100-acre family theme park just north-east of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire. A large share of the rides are aimed at young children, so it suits families better than thrill-chasing adults. The park bills itself as all-action and all-weather, and says its water park is all inclusive, with unlimited rides, slides and splashes.

Tip: Book tickets online in advance, as the park says this usually gets the best savings.

Lincoln Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral and a working place of worship, consecrated in the 11th century. The building is grade I listed and has Gothic architecture from several periods, including two large rose windows, the Dean's Eye and the Bishop's Eye. The Victorian writer John Ruskin rated it highly among British buildings.

Tip: The cathedral is a living church, so some areas can close for services or events. Check the visit page for current restrictions before you travel.

Woolsthorpe Manor, near Grantham, is the birthplace and family home of Sir Isaac Newton. This Grade I listed house is cared for by the National Trust and presented as a typical seventeenth-century yeoman's farmhouse. Newton returned here in 1666 when Cambridge University closed because of the plague, and performed many of his most famous experiments on light and optics in the house.

Belvoir Castle (pronounced BEE-vər) is a grade I listed mock castle on a high hill in the north of Leicestershire, overlooking the Vale of Belvoir. The name means "beautiful view" in Norman French. A castle has stood on the site since the Norman Conquest, and the present building dates from the early 19th century, in the romantic Gothic Revival style by architect James Wyatt.

Burghley House is one of the largest and grandest houses of the 16th century, built for William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I. It is still a family home, and the State Rooms are full of paintings and treasures, including ceiling paintings on the Heaven Room and Hell Staircase and carvings by Grinling Gibbons.

Tip: Book online in advance to save money on the day. Dogs on leads can use the parkland, but not the house, gardens or adventure play.

Newark Air Museum sits on the former RAF Winthorpe airfield, just outside Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire. During the Second World War the airfield trained Avro Lancaster crews, and today it is home to a collection of over 80 aircraft, running through the history of flight.

Tip: There is free car parking next to the site, and you don't need to pre-book. In bad weather, check with the museum before you travel.

Lincoln Castle was built by William the Conqueror in the late 11th century on the site of a Roman fortress. It is unusual for having two mottes, and it stayed in use as a prison and court for centuries. It sits in the heart of Lincoln's historic Cathedral Quarter.

Tip: Call the Customer Service Centre on 01522 782019 before you go to check which parts are open and which Magna Carta documents are on display.