Faringdon Grange - Fun Days Out

Crocodiles of the World is a zoo at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, specialising in crocodilians. You can meet crocodiles, alligators and caiman from around the world, including Siamese crocodiles, Chinese alligators, Nile crocodiles and American alligators. There is underwater viewing, plus talks, animal encounters and feeds through the day.

Away from the crocodilians, you'll also find meerkats, binturong, Galapagos tortoises and a Komodo dragon, the world's largest living lizard. The indoor areas are kept tropical all year round. Keeper experiences let you work alongside the keepers and get hands-on with some of the animals.

It's a good pick for families, curious kids and anyone with a soft spot for reptiles, and it's a friendly, manageable zoo rather than a full day's trek.

Tip: Check the daily feeding and talk schedule on the day, and book keeper experiences ahead of your visit.

The Uffington White Horse is a prehistoric hill figure, 110 metres long, formed from deep trenches filled with crushed white chalk. It sits on the upper slopes of Whitehorse Hill, part of the Berkshire Downs, and looks out over the Vale of White Horse. It was made between 1380 and 550 BC, which makes it Britain's oldest chalk figure.

The horse has a long story. It appears in medieval Welsh literature, was covered over in the Second World War so it couldn't guide enemy pilots, and has been scoured and re-chalked by volunteers over the years. Some people see it as a tribal symbol, others as a "solar horse" linked to the midwinter sun. The sources say the best views of the figure are from the air, or from across the Vale around Great Coxwell, Longcot and Fernham.

Tip: To see the whole figure, look across the Vale from around Great Coxwell, Longcot or Fernham.

The Ashmolean is the University of Oxford's museum of art and archaeology, founded in 1683 and widely described as Britain's first public museum. Its collections range from Egyptian mummies to contemporary art, telling human stories across cultures and across time. Highlights include the Egypt and Nubia galleries and the Chinese Picture Gallery, the only museum gallery in Britain devoted to Chinese paintings.

Allow time to wander floor by floor, using the interactive floor guide or one of the gallery trails to shape your visit. There is a café, a shop and a Rooftop Restaurant for lunch or afternoon tea. It suits curious families, couples and anyone who enjoys history and art, and it works well as a rainy-day option.

Tip: Groups must book ahead, and booking is strongly recommended for the major ticketed exhibition.

Blenheim Palace is one of England's largest houses, found in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Designed in the rare English Baroque style, it was a reward to the 1st Duke of Marlborough for his victory at the Battle of Blenheim, which gave the palace its name.

It is still a family home, as well as a mausoleum and national monument. You can explore the grand interiors, then head out to the park and gardens, which members of the Churchill family reshaped over the generations. The land was once a royal deer park, and the spring where Henry II's mistress, Fair Rosamund, is said to have bathed still remains. The story of how the palace was built is full of politics and controversy too.

Tip: Look out for Fair Rosamund's spring, which survives from the old royal deer park at Woodstock.

Worcester College is one of the University of Oxford's colleges, founded in 1714 on a site where learning had gone on since the late 13th century. The main quad mixes an imposing 18th-century neo-classical building with a row of medieval "cottages", among the oldest residential buildings in Oxford.

Make for the chapel, redecorated by William Burges in the 1860s. It is mostly pink, with carved animals on the pews, including kangaroos and whales, and frescoes of dodos and peacocks. Outside, the college has 26 acres of leafy gardens and grounds to wander, and its website lists a self-guided tour. It suits history lovers and anyone who enjoys a look at unusual architecture.

Tip: Check the college's visiting hours on its website before you go, and look at the self-guided tour.

Christ Church is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, founded by King Henry VIII in 1546. It is the only academic institution in the world that is also a cathedral, and Christ Church Cathedral doubles as the college chapel.

The grounds hold several architecturally significant buildings. Tom Quad is the largest quadrangle in Oxford, and Tom Tower was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The Great Dining Hall was the seat of the parliament King Charles I assembled during the English Civil War. Buildings here have appeared in films including Harry Potter and The Golden Compass, and the college counts Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland, among its former students.

It's a good pick for history lovers and film fans, and the buildings are the main draw for anyone exploring Oxford.

Kelmscott Manor is a limestone manor house in the Cotswolds village of Kelmscott, close to the River Thames. Built around 1570 and Grade I listed, it was the country home of the writer, designer and socialist William Morris from 1871 until his death in 1896. It features in his book News from Nowhere.

Visitors can explore all three floors, including the attic spaces once used by farm labourers. Inside you'll find many of Morris's famous textile patterns and furniture, his bedroom with original books and a collection of Dürer prints, and works by Rossetti and Sir Edward Burne-Jones. Outside, the garden has many old trees, including a very old black mulberry at the rear of the house, and fruit trees and standard roses. A walled front garden has a summer house in one corner. It's a good choice for history lovers and couples.

Tip: Check the current opening days before you go; the manor has been open to the public on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in summer.

Merton College is one of the University of Oxford's oldest colleges, founded in 1264 by Walter de Merton. Visitors can explore the four quads and the College Chapel on Merton Street, just off the High Street in central Oxford. An admission brochure includes a map to guide you round.

Mob Quad is the oldest quadrangle in the University, and its library is one of the oldest continuously functioning libraries for university academics and students in Europe. The chapel dates from the late 1280s and holds a pre-Reformation lectern given in 1504 and a screen by Christopher Wren. The Gatehouse has a battlement tower, and the war memorial under the Fitzjames Arch commemorates 109 Mertonians. It suits history fans and anyone curious about Oxford's university past. The Hall, Fellows' Garden and residential areas are normally closed to visitors.

Tip: Oxford has limited parking and many one-way streets, so consider using one of the city's Park and Ride services.