Aspen Country Park - Fun Days Out

Banham Zoo is a 50-acre zoo in Norfolk, run by the Zoological Society of East Anglia, a registered charity. It opened to the public in 1968 and is the largest zoo in the region. Animals include giraffes, snow leopards, Amur tigers, cheetahs, red pandas, meerkats and California sea lions, along with a well-regarded collection of smaller monkeys.

The day mixes animal encounters with daily talks, live shows, outdoor play areas and seasonal events. There are animal experiences, including hand-feeding giraffes, and a Bird Garden reached by a short walk along a meandering path. Families will find plenty to fill a day, and the activities are designed for all ages. Money from tickets also supports the zoo's conservation work.

Tip: Check the website's what's on page before you go, as daily talks and seasonal events change, and you can book tickets online in advance.

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.

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.

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.

Grime's Graves is a large Neolithic flint mining complex in Norfolk, 8 km north east of Brandon. Miners worked here from around 2600 to 2300 BC, digging shafts into the chalk to reach seams of flint, which was much in demand for making polished stone axes. Some of the largest shafts are more than 14 m deep and 12 m wide at the surface.

The ground is pockmarked with the filled-in shafts, and the scheduled monument covers some 37 hectares. Anglo-Saxons named it after their god Grim, and its purpose was only uncovered when Canon William Greenwell excavated a shaft in 1868 to 1870. The miners used red deer antler picks, and one shaft appears to have been turned into a shrine. The site is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest within the Breckland Special Area of Conservation, so it's a good stop for anyone curious about prehistory and open landscape.

The Food Museum in Stowmarket tells the story of how food is grown, made and eaten. It covers 84 acres of Suffolk countryside with 17 historic buildings and close to 40,000 objects, from wartime ration recipes to a full-size steam-powered mill engine. The museum is large, and most people take all day to see it.

Highlights include the Queen Anne house of Abbot's Hall and its Walled Garden, the Mortlock Building with its steam engines, Alton Watermill and Eastbridge Windpump, and a mile of river trails. The farm area has rare breeds such as Suffolk Sheep, Red Poll cattle and Suffolk Punch horses, plus hens, turkeys and pigs. There are daily talks, tours and hands-on farming or foraging activities. Children can use the play area with its zip wire, swings and slides. Feast Cafe serves homemade meals.

Tip: Pick up a daily menu from the museum shop to see the talks, tours and demonstrations on during your visit.

Newmarket Racecourse is a Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Suffolk, made up of two courses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often called the headquarters of British horseracing, and the racecourse was founded in 1636. Both courses are wide, galloping tracks used for Flat racing only.

The Rowley Mile is used in spring and autumn and stages the 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas, two of the country's five Classic Races. The July Course is used in summer and hosts the July Festival, with the July Cup and the Falmouth Stakes. It also holds several evening meetings a year with live music after racing, which often draw a sellout crowd. The Devil's Dyke runs past the edge of the July Course.

Tip: Evening meetings on the July Course often sell out, so book ahead if you want to go to one.