The Essex Golf and Country Club - Fun Days Out

Colchester Zoo has been open since 1963 and is home to many rare and endangered species, including big cats, primates, birds, invertebrates and fish. The animals are arranged in themed zones, so you move from one habitat to the next as you explore.

Highlights include Elephant Kingdom, where a herd of African bush elephants has a pool and waterfall, and Kingdom of the Wild, a savannah-style habitat with giraffes, white rhinos and zebras. You can also see Komodo dragons, Humboldt penguins, cheetahs and Malayan sun bears. Australian Rainbows has a walk-through aviary where you can feed nectar to free-flying lorikeets, and there are walk-through areas with iguanas and farm animals.

The zoo describes itself as a full day out and says you may need to visit twice to see everything.

Tip: Arrive close to opening, and book e-tickets online at least 24 hours ahead to get the cheaper rate. If you arrive after midday, visit Kingdom of the Wild and Elephant Kingdom first, as they close an hour early.

Hedingham Castle sits on a hill above the village of Castle Hedingham in Essex. Its Norman keep was built around 1140 by the de Vere family, later Earls of Oxford, and is widely described as the best preserved of its kind in England. The estate is still a family home, owned by their descendants, the Lindsays.

You explore the keep, which has five floors, including the Great Hall with its large fireplace, and the Royal Chamber at the top. Outside are landscaped gardens and medieval parkland with a red-brick bridge, plus secret spaces to wander through. The castle also hosts events such as jousting, living history, vintage car shows, theatre and outdoor cinema. The Keep Tearoom serves hot and cold drinks and light snacks, with seating indoors or takeaway.

Access to the keep involves steep stairs, so it is unsuitable for prams and wheelchairs, though the grounds have easy, accessible walks.

Tip: Check the events calendar and book tickets online in advance before you go.

Colchester Castle is a Norman castle dating from the second half of the eleventh century. Its keep is mostly intact and is the largest of its kind anywhere in Europe. The Normans built it on the foundations of the Roman Temple of Claudius, the largest Roman temple in Britain, so Roman and medieval history sit together in one building.

Inside is Colchester Museum, which has an important collection of Roman exhibits. You can see the keep's thick walls, which include Roman brick and tile, and learn how the castle endured a three-month siege in 1216 and later served as a prison. The castle gives its name to Castle Park, where it stands. It is a Grade I listed building and a scheduled monument, and it will suit history fans and curious older children.

Layer Marney Tower is a Grade I listed early Tudor house in Essex, built in rich red brick with some of the finest Italianate terracotta in the country. Its gatehouse is the tallest Tudor example in Britain, and it was begun by Henry, 1st Lord Marney, who served Henry VIII as Lord Privy Seal.

You can explore the Gatehouse and the church, then wander the gardens and grounds. Inside the Gatehouse are the College of Arms' Exhibition of Crowns and Crests and Myra English's Dolls Houses. There are a few animals on the farm and a play area for children. The Tearoom in the Edwardian Stables serves simple lunches, cakes and scones, with much of the food produced locally. Guided tours are available, some aimed at families and others at serious history fans.

Gainsborough's House is the birthplace of the English painter Thomas Gainsborough, in the Suffolk town of Sudbury. It is now a museum and gallery in a Grade I listed building, parts of which date back to around 1500. It is described as the National Centre for Gainsborough, with a large collection of his oil paintings, works on paper and artefacts on permanent display.

Alongside the permanent collection, the museum runs changing exhibitions. Its Cedric Morris Room is also open to visitors, and the House holds events such as drawing sessions and life drawing days. Exhibitions are updated regularly, so check the website to see what is showing before you go. It is a good fit for anyone interested in Gainsborough, art or the history of an old house.

Tip: Check the website's exhibitions and events pages before you go to see what is on during your visit.

Christchurch Mansion is a Tudor house in Christchurch Park, close to Ipswich town centre. Built on the site of a medieval priory, it has over 500 years of history. You can wander through period rooms, from the Tudor kitchen and the Georgian saloon to the Victorian wing, and imagine how owners and servants once lived.

The art is a big draw, with the largest collection of Thomas Gainsborough and John Constable paintings outside London. You will also find musical instruments, toys and glassware. There is a museum shop and a tea room that can be reached from the park. History fans, art lovers and families will all find plenty to enjoy, and the '50 Ways to Play' challenge sheet gives children ideas for the house and park.

Tip: Download the free Bloomberg Connects guide before you go, as the Mansion has no Wi-Fi, and note there is no parking at the museum.

Mountfitchet Castle is a reconstructed Norman castle and village, built on its original site in Stansted Mountfitchet. You can wander in and out of the timber houses, see scenes of medieval life and smell the log fires. Tame fallow deer and other rescued animals roam freely around the 10-acre site, and you can hand feed them.

Your ticket also includes the House on the Hill Museum, which has the largest toy collection in the world, with more than 80,000 toys from the Victorian era to the 1990s. There are film and TV props too, including the Only Fools and Horses van. Animatronic dinosaurs line the way, and there is a fossil-hunting house. A tea room and gift shop are on site. It suits families with children, and fans of history or nostalgia.

Tip: Arrive early to get the most from your visit. The castle recommends allowing at least 2 hours.

Ingatestone Hall is a Grade I listed 16th-century manor house in open countryside outside the village of Ingatestone, about five miles south west of Chelmsford. Sir William Petre built it, and his family still own and live in it. It keeps much of its original Tudor look, with mullioned windows, high chimneys, crow-step gables and oak-panelled rooms.

Inside, you can tour eight principal rooms holding paintings, furniture and memorabilia collected over the centuries. The Petres were Catholics, and the house has two priest holes used to hide clergy. Outside are ten acres of enclosed gardens, with lawns, a walled garden and a stew pond. Teas and light lunches are served in the Summer Parlour when the house is open, and there is a shop. It suits history fans and anyone who likes looking round a house that is still a family home. Note that the grounds have some steep slopes and soft surfaces.

Tip: The house is only open on set days in the summer season, and some events change or restrict access, so check the Events list shortly before you go.