Cropton Lodges

Flamingo Land is a theme park, zoo and resort at Kirby Misperton in North Yorkshire. It has been running since 1959 and was the first site in Europe to combine rides and a zoo. The theme park has eight themed areas, with thrill coasters such as Sik, Hero, Kumali and Velocity, plus gentler family and kids' rides.

Tip: Check the day's keeper talk and show times on the website before you go, and plan your route around them.

Castle Howard is a Baroque country house in North Yorkshire, designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and home to the Howard family for over 300 years. Inside, you can explore grand galleries, bedrooms and a world-class art and sculpture collection. The house is also well known as a filming location, including for Brideshead Revisited and Bridgerton.

Tip: Buying tickets online costs less than buying at the Ticket Office, so book online. House and Gardens tickets include the playground.

Rievaulx Abbey was the first Cistercian monastery in the north of England, founded in 1132 and set in a wooded dale by the River Rye in the North York Moors National Park. It became one of the great monasteries in England before it was seized under Henry VIII in 1538. Today the ruins are owned and maintained by English Heritage.

Tip: Park in Helmsley and take the scenic walk from Helmsley Castle to the abbey; a joint ticket also covers nearby Rievaulx Terrace.

Helmsley Castle stands in the market town of Helmsley, in the North York Moors National Park. Over the centuries it was a medieval fortress, an Elizabethan mansion, a Civil War stronghold under siege and, later, a romantic ruin. The tall, keep-like east tower still dominates the town, and the stonework defences are impressive.

Tip: Pick up the fort-building trail at the start if you have children with you.

Murton Park is set in 14 acres of countryside east of York and is home to the Yorkshire Museum of Farming. Inside you can explore the history of farm machinery, rural life and the Women's Land Army. Outdoors there are animals to meet, play areas, and a short ride on the Derwent Valley Light Railway at weekends.

Tip: The living history sites may have limited or no access during school term time, so visit at a weekend or in the school holidays to see the Roman fort and Viking village.

York Minster is an Anglican cathedral in the city of York and the seat of the Archbishop of York. Most of the building dates from between 1220 and 1472. It keeps most of its medieval stained glass, including the huge east window, the largest expanse of medieval glass in the world, and the Five Sisters window in the north transept.

Tip: Pre-book your tickets, and note that a Minster ticket is valid for 12 months. The Central Tower needs a combined ticket and a minimum age of 8.

Eden Camp is a large Second World War museum near Malton in North Yorkshire. It fills a former prisoner-of-war camp, and the museum's displays are spread across the camp's original huts. Italian and German prisoners were held here, and the huts have since been repaired and renovated for visitors.

Scarborough Castle crowns a headland between the town's two bays. Climb to the viewing platforms in the Inner Bailey and the Great Tower for views over the town, the harbour and the bay. An exhibition tells the story of the site, including a Bronze Age sword on display, and there's a World Builder trail for younger visitors.

Tip: Leave plenty of time to wander the wide grassy headland as well as the castle itself.