Fenview Lakes - Fun Days Out

Ely Cathedral stands above the flat Fenland landscape, which is why locals call it "the ship of the Fens". The earliest parts of the present building date to 1083, and it is one of the largest Norman churches built in its day. Its nave is among the longest in Britain, and the central Octagon, with its lantern above, creates a remarkable space inside.

Visitors can wander the ground floor with a free in-person tour or multi-media guide, subject to availability. Extra tours include the Octagon Tower, completed in 1342 and described as one of the wonders of medieval engineering. The West Tower Experience means climbing 288 steps for 360-degree views over the city and beyond. The Stained Glass Museum is housed upstairs, and the Almonry Kitchen offers afternoon tea.

Tip: Book tickets and tours in advance, as tour places are limited, and check opening times first because it is a busy working cathedral.

Sandringham House is a royal country house on a large estate in the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is owned personally by the monarch rather than the Crown, and the house is Grade II* listed. The landscaped gardens, park and woodlands are on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens, and the site has a history stretching back to Elizabethan times.

Visitors can explore the house and gardens, then walk the woodland and waymarked trails of the Royal Parkland. There is a shop selling estate produce, home and garden wares and plants. For food, the Sandringham Courtyard and the Stables Takeaway Café in the gardens serve breakfast, light bites and sweet treats made with local produce. It suits anyone who enjoys royal history, a stroll through historic grounds, or a relaxed day with a cup of tea at the end.

Tip: If you're bringing a dog, check the estate's dog-friendly areas on its website before you set off.

Denny Abbey is a 12th-century, Grade I listed former monastery that was home in turn to monks, Knights Templar and Franciscan nuns, before becoming a farm. Alongside it, the Farmland Museum fills converted farm buildings and a 17th-century stone barn with the story of life and farming in the Cambridgeshire Fens.

You can see the Nuns' Refectory with its almost complete medieval tiled floor, step into a 1940s farmworker's cottage and village shop, and look round rural trades displays including a dairy, a Fenman's hut and a wheelwright's workshop. There's also a large collection of old farm machinery, plus gardens and open space to wander. It suits families, history fans and anyone who likes a gentle, wide-ranging day out. The Docky Box Café is on site.

Tip: The site closes each winter and on some weekdays, so check the current opening season and days on the museum's website before you set off. Parking at the entrance is free.

IWM Duxford is a branch of the Imperial War Museum, set on the historic Duxford Aerodrome in Cambridgeshire. The site began as a Royal Flying Corps training aerodrome, played a prominent part in the Battle of Britain, and stayed an active RAF airfield until 1961. Many of the original buildings, including hangars used during the Battle of Britain, are still in use, and over thirty are listed.

Today it houses aircraft, military vehicles, artillery and small naval vessels across several exhibition buildings. These include the Stirling Prize-winning American Air Museum, designed by Sir Norman Foster. The site is still an active airfield used by civilian flying companies, and it hosts regular air shows. It also holds the Airborne Assault and Royal Anglian Regiment museums, so there is plenty of military history beyond the aircraft themselves.

Tip: Check the IWM Duxford website before you go for air shows and special events, as the site hosts them regularly.

Oxburgh Hall is a moated medieval manor house near Swaffham, with Victorian Gothic interiors. It was built in the 1480s for the Bedingfeld family, who still live in private apartments there. You cross the moat to a tall brick gatehouse, then explore the hall, which has a priest hole and needlework hangings worked by Mary, Queen of Scots and Bess of Hardwick.

Outside, there is a Victorian garden with a kitchen garden and orchard, a French-style parterre, a wilderness area and My Lady's Wood. The parkland sits on the edge of the Norfolk Brecks, and there are woodland walks including a Woodland Explorer trail. The National Trust says families can build dens and hunt for secret doorways. The Servants' Hall tea-room is there for a break, and there is a shop and a second-hand bookshop.

Tip: Parking is free on site, and the hall is about 250 metres from the main car park along a flat gravel path.

The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge, on Trumpington Street in the centre of the city. It holds over half a million objects and artworks, and its collection of antiquities and modern art is among the best in western Europe. The building itself is Grade I listed.

The paintings include works by Monet, Picasso, Rubens, Van Gogh, Renoir and Rembrandt, plus extensive works by Turner and Ford Madox Brown's The Last of England. Other galleries cover ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, coins and medals, pottery, armour and illuminated manuscripts. The Egyptian Galleries use participatory displays to help families and young visitors understand ancient Egypt.

Anglesey Abbey is a National Trust property in the village of Lode, about five and a half miles north-east of Cambridge. The Grade I listed house was built on the remains of an Augustinian priory and has a 13th-century chapter house, an oak-panelled room, a library and a two-storey picture gallery. It holds Lord Fairhaven's collection of furniture, paintings, clocks, tapestries and books, which he left to the Trust along with the house.

Outside, there are 98 acres of gardens and landscaped grounds, laid out by Lord Fairhaven in an 18th-century style with tree-lined avenues, flower gardens and statuary. A working mill, Lode Mill, sits on the edge of the grounds. It suits garden lovers, history fans and anyone who likes looking round a well-furnished house with a walk outdoors afterwards.

King's College Chapel is the chapel of King's College in the University of Cambridge, and a commonly used symbol of the city. It is considered one of the finest examples of Perpendicular Gothic architecture, and it has the world's largest fan vault, built by master mason John Wastell.

Inside, look up at the vault, then along the stained glass. There are 12 large windows on each side, with larger ones at the east and west ends. Apart from the west window, which is by Clayton and Bell, they are by Flemish glaziers and date from 1515 to 1531. Above the altar hangs The Adoration of the Magi, painted by Rubens. It's an easy fit for anyone interested in history, medieval craftsmanship or architecture, and a good choice for a rainy day.

Tip: Head for the altar end to see the Rubens, and look up along the way to take in the fan vault.