Cotswold Gateway Escape - Fun Days Out

Anne Hathaway's Cottage in Shottery, just outside Stratford-upon-Avon, is the former farmhouse where Shakespeare's wife-to-be was born and raised. The earliest part dates to 1463, and despite the name it is a twelve-roomed house with visible timber framing and several chimneys. Inside you can see original furniture, including the Hathaway bed, and learn about the family who lived here for 13 generations.

Outside, acres of cottage gardens and orchards are the main draw, along with a sculpture trail inspired by Shakespeare's plays and a giant willow sculpture that makes a good photo spot. There is a garden café and a garden shop. Children aged 4 to 11 can borrow a Nature Explorer Backpack, with butterfly nets, bug jars and animal footprints for exploring the meadow, orchard and statue garden. It's a good fit for families and anyone interested in Shakespeare's story.

Tip: Pre-booking is recommended. Backpacks are limited and given out first come, first served, so ask for one when you arrive.

Broadway Tower is a Grade II listed, 18th-century tower on Broadway Hill, the second-highest point of the Cotswolds. Designed by James Wyatt and inspired by Capability Brown, it's a castle-style building with battlements, gargoyles and turrets. The top three floors are a museum, and a spiral staircase takes you up to the roof platform for the views.

The tower sits in a 200-acre family-owned estate of parkland. You can visit the Deer Park, follow the circular walks or just stroll the grounds with a picnic. There are two cafés and shops, and the Cotswold Way passes right by. For something different, the restored Cold War nuclear bunker nearby is one of the few such monitoring posts in England open to visitors. It's a good pick for history fans and anyone who likes a walk with a view.

Tip: Book tickets online in advance, as space is limited. The nuclear bunker tours also need booking through the website.

The Black Country Living Museum in Dudley is an open-air museum of rebuilt, replica and recreated shops, houses and industrial workshops, spread across 26 acres of former industrial land. Historic characters in period settings chat to visitors and demonstrate traditional skills, such as hand-forging nails and casting brass. The visit is self-guided, so you can explore at your own pace.

Highlights include a working replica of the Newcomen steam engine, a colliery with an underground drift, canal-side lime kilns and a 1930s fairground. Electric trams and trolleybuses carry you from the entrance to the village, and a narrowboat trip runs into Dudley Tunnel. There are eateries on site. It suits history fans, families and anyone curious about the Industrial Revolution, and Peaky Blinders fans can see screen-used sets from the show.

Tip: Allow 4 to 5 hours, and head first to the trams or trolleybuses to reach the village at the heart of the site.

West Midlands Safari Park, near Bewdley in Worcestershire, combines a drive-through safari with walk-through animal areas and an adventure theme park. The four-mile Safari Drive takes you past lions, giraffes, rhinos, tigers and more, including white lions and cheetahs, with the cheetah reserve billed as the UK's largest drive-by one.

On foot, you can visit walk-through areas with penguins, hippos, lemurs, sea lions, lorikeets and meerkats. The African Walking Trail gets you close to elephants, giraffes and rhinos, while Tiger Tropics and Lion Ridge are for big cat fans. Land of the Living Dinosaurs adds animatronic dinosaurs and fossils, and there are daily feeds and talks. Rides in the theme park can be added to your ticket, and the Discovery Trail has mostly indoor exhibits, which helps if the weather turns.

Warwick Castle stands on a sandstone bluff at a bend of the River Avon. The Normans built a motte-and-bailey castle here in 1068, and it was rebuilt in stone in the 12th century. The 14th-century facade facing the town is one of the best-known examples of medieval military architecture in Britain. Inside you can explore the interiors, hear the castle's royal stories and learn its history from expert historians.

It is a full day out rather than a quick look round. There are live shows, including a bird of prey display with over 60 birds, and you can see Britain's largest siege machine, the trebuchet, up close. Younger visitors can try the Horrible Histories Maze and the Princess Tower storytelling, while the Castle Dungeon covers the darker side of Warwick's past. The castle also has 64 acres of grounds and gardens to wander.

Tip: Pre-book online to guarantee entry; advance tickets are cheaper and include a Rainy Day Promise.

Sudeley Castle is a Grade I listed castle in the Cotswolds, near the medieval market town of Winchcombe in Gloucestershire. It stands in a 1,200-acre estate in the Cotswold hills, with 10 notable gardens covering some 15 acres. After years in ruins following the Civil War, the Dent family restored it and made it a family home.

The history is the big draw. Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII, lived here and is buried in the castle's church. Wikipedia describes Sudeley as the only privately owned castle with a Queen of England buried in its grounds. Richard III is credited with building the banqueting hall, and Elizabeth I visited three times, once for a three-day party after the defeat of the Spanish Armada. It suits history fans, garden lovers and couples after a relaxed day out.

Tip: Seek out the castle's church to see Catherine Parr's burial place, then leave time for the gardens.

Stanway House is a Jacobean manor house in Gloucestershire, built in the late 16th and early 17th centuries for the Tracy family and still home to the Earls of Wemyss and March. The house, the triple-gabled gatehouse and the tithe barn dating from about 1370 are all Grade I listed, and much of the building is in warm Guiting yellow stone.

The gardens are Grade I listed too, with restored ponds, a cascade and a long canal. The star attraction is the Stanway Fountain, a single jet that rises to over 300 feet. Just outside the grounds, the estate's restored watermill still produces wholemeal and sifted flour. It suits history lovers, garden fans and couples after a quiet, scenic outing, and you may recognise the house from period dramas such as Wolf Hall and Father Brown.

Worcester Cathedral rises above the River Severn and has been a place of worship for fourteen centuries. The present building was begun in 1084 and is Grade I listed. Inside you will find a Romanesque crypt, a chapter house dating from 1120, medieval misericords and a central tower completed in 1374.

Among the monuments are the tomb of King John, of Robin Hood story fame, and that of Arthur, Prince of Wales, elder brother of Henry VIII. Visitors have praised the guided tour of the library, reached by climbing 39 stone steps to ancient books and manuscripts. Reviewers describe the cathedral as stunning, with beautiful windows and good accessibility. It suits families and anyone who enjoys architecture and the story behind a great building. It is also the home of the Three Choirs Festival, the oldest choral festival in existence.

Tip: Join a guided tour if one is running, as visitors rate the library tour highly. Summer holidays can be busier.