1-Bedroom Hot Tub Cottage in North Petherton

Diggerland is a theme park where children and adults can ride, drive and operate real diggers, dumpers and other full-size construction machinery. The Devon park is in Cullompton, and the whole line-up runs to around 20 rides and drives.

Tip: Check the ride height chart on the Diggerland website before you go, so you know which rides each child can enjoy.

Tropiquaria is a small zoo and animal sanctuary based in and around a repurposed 1933 BBC Radio Transmitting Station at Washford Cross in Somerset. The listed building houses the Reptile House, Aquarium and Nocturnal House, with several acres of outdoor enclosures around it. Outside you can spot animals such as gibbons, ring-tailed lemurs, meerkats, tapir, wallabies and serval.

Tip: Don't leave dogs in your vehicle, as the car park has limited shade; only registered Assistance Dogs are allowed in the zoo.

Cheddar Gorge is a dramatic limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills, with cliffs up to 137 metres deep. A day ticket covers Gough's Cave, Jacob's Ladder and the Museum of Prehistory. Gough's Cave is where Cheddar Man, Britain's oldest complete human skeleton, was found, and its stalactites and stalagmites were shaped by an underground river.

Tip: Arrive before 11am, especially in school holidays and on bank holidays, to find a parking space easily. Booking day tickets online in advance also saves money.

Glastonbury Tor is a conical hill rising from the Somerset Levels, topped by the roofless 15th-century tower of St Michael's Church. Excavations at the summit revealed the plans of two earlier churches on the site.

Tip: There is no parking at the Tor itself, so use the nearest fee-paying car park at Draper and Co on Chilkwell Street and walk, and keep your dog on a lead because sheep graze here.

The Museum of Somerset is in the 12th-century great hall of Taunton Castle, in Taunton. It is run by the South West Heritage Trust, an independent charity, and tells the story of the county through its collections.

Bristol Zoo Project is a wildlife conservation park in South Gloucestershire, run by Bristol Zoological Society. It covers a large site, and its areas are designed to link ecosystems and conservation programmes around the world. Current areas include Bear Wood, Benoué National Park and Discover Madagascar.

Montacute House is a late Elizabethan mansion in South Somerset, completed around 1601 and built of golden local Ham Hill stone. Inside you can explore the ground floor, which is home to the rare Tournai Tapestry, and the Long Gallery is the longest in England and displays portraits as an outpost of the National Portrait Gallery.

Tip: Parking is free, and timed entry tickets are used on busier days, so check before you set off. The Ladies' Walk is a 45-minute climb with lovely views over the village.

Barrington Court is a National Trust estate near Ilminster, centred on a Tudor manor house begun around 1538. The Trust acquired it in 1907, and it was restored in the 1920s by Colonel Lyle and his wife. Strode House, a former stable and coach block, stands alongside.

Tip: Sat navs can direct you to the rear entrance, so use the what3words location ///rags.could.galaxy and follow the brown tourist signs. Check the National Trust page for what is open before you go.