Goosedale Lodges - Fun Days Out

Wollaton Hall is an Elizabethan country house, built in the 1580s on a prominent hill in Wollaton Park, Nottingham. Its bold, heavily carved exterior is largely intact, and the Grade I listed building now houses Nottingham's Natural History Museum, with the Industrial Museum in the outbuildings. Inside, the great hall has a fake hammerbeam ceiling, and its gallery holds a hand-blown pipe organ thought to date from the end of the 17th century.

Guided Hidden History Tours take you down to the Tudor kitchens and cellars. The Prospect Room at the top of the house, reached on an escorted tour, gives wide views over the park and surrounding country.

Outside, the park is home to herds of red and fallow deer. There are cafés and shops on site, and dogs are allowed on leads. Wear comfortable footwear and keep a safe distance from the deer.

Tip: Book the Hidden History Tour to see the Tudor kitchens and basement, and pay for parking by the RingGo app or by card on site.

Gulliver's Kingdom is a theme park in Matlock Bath, aimed at children aged 3-13. It sits on a hillside on the edge of the Peak District National Park, so many of the rides come with views over the Derwent Valley. The Crows Nest Quest is there to climb, and the log flume runs high above the valley.

The park began in 1978 as a model village and grew from there. Its main rollercoaster is named after the Victorian Switchback ride that once stood nearby. There are rides built with younger thrill-seekers in mind, so it suits families with little ones who want a full day of rides rather than anything too extreme.

Tip: Leaving the car behind? Matlock Bath station is a 10-15 minute walk away, and a valid public transport ticket can bring a discount on entry.

Nottingham Castle stands on Castle Rock, a natural promontory with cliffs that dominate the city skyline. The Norman fortress is long gone, but the gatehouse and parts of the ramparts remain, and a 17th-century ducal mansion now houses the museum and galleries. Inside you'll find the Nottingham Lace Gallery, the Craft Gallery, the Rebellion Gallery, the Museum of the Mercian Regiment and the Robin Hood Adventures, with interactive and immersive displays.

Outside, there are grounds to wander and an adventure play area with timber structures for children to climb, swing and slide. Optional cave tours take you into the depths of Castle Rock, and there is also a dungeon tour. It suits families, history fans and anyone who wants the real setting behind the Robin Hood legends, and there's plenty to fill a wet day.

Tip: Cave and dungeon tours are optional add-ons to the main admission ticket, so book them when you buy your tickets.

Twycross Zoo is a 100-acre charity-run zoo near Norton Juxta Twycross in Leicestershire. It is known as a specialist primate centre and is the only zoo in the UK to keep all four types of great ape: gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos. It also has one of the largest collections of gibbons in Europe.

Beyond the apes, you can see Amur leopards, Sumatran tigers, giraffes, black rhinos, meerkats, Humboldt penguins and Chilean flamingos. There is a Butterfly House and a walk-through lorikeet enclosure where you can feed the birds. Keepers and rangers run daily talks and feeds, from meerkats and giraffes to penguins, tortoises and big cats. Gruffalo Discovery Land is also on site, and the zoo runs seasonal events through the year.

Tip: Check the 'What's On' board at the entrance for the day's talk and feed times, and book tickets online ahead to save money.

Newstead Abbey, in Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire, began as an Augustinian priory, founded by Henry II as a penance after the murder of Thomas Becket. Despite the name, it was never an abbey. After the dissolution of the monasteries it was converted into a country house, and it is best known today as the ancestral home of Lord Byron.

The story of the place is a big part of a visit. The 4th Lord Byron landscaped the gardens extensively, while the 5th Baron built Gothic follies and staged mock naval battles on the lake. The poet inherited the estate as a boy and later began renovations, and his Newfoundland dog, Boatswain, features in the Byron story. The medieval priory was extended in the 15th century with a Great Hall and Prior's Lodgings, so the building carries several centuries of history.

Tip: Read up on the Byron story first: the lake, gardens and house all connect to the family's history.

Hardwick Hall is an Elizabethan country house built between 1590 and 1597 for Bess of Hardwick, once the richest woman in England after Queen Elizabeth I. It is famous for its enormous windows, which gave rise to the saying "Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall". Inside, a wide stone staircase leads up to the state rooms, including one of the largest long galleries in any English house, and a tapestry-hung great chamber with a plaster frieze of hunting scenes.

Outside, there are formal gardens with a herbaceous border, the ruined Old Hall beside the house, and a 2,500 acre estate of meadows, woodland and ponds to walk through. There is a restaurant, shop, plant shop and second-hand bookshop in the grounds. History fans will enjoy it most, and families can follow seasonal trails and adventure in the parkland. Gardeners and walkers are well catered for too.

Tip: No advance booking is needed, and parking is included with a ticket. Set your sat nav to S44 5RW to reach the correct entrance.

The National Justice Museum is a museum of crime, punishment and social justice, set in the Grade II* listed Shire Hall in Nottingham's Lace Market. Over five floors you'll find a Victorian courtroom, a Georgian gaol and cells that date back hundreds of years. The courtrooms go back to the 14th century, and the gaol to at least 1449.

Costumed characters, from gaolers and matrons to prisoners and judges, share real stories from the building's past. You can take part in a historical trial re-enactment and see a Georgian-style execution performance. There are also family-friendly interactives, and free exhibition spaces on modern social justice themes.

Daytime visits are family friendly, with activities suitable for all ages. Very young children may find parts of the building unnerving, and some prison areas are dimly lit. It suits history fans, families and anyone after a rainy-day outing.

Tip: There's no parking on site. Use the Stoney Street multi-storey or the Lace Market car park, or take the tram to Lace Market stop. Ask at reception for performance times.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park is a zoo and conservation centre on the outskirts of Doncaster, South Yorkshire. You explore on foot, with three walk-through animal reserves and themed lands that recreate habitats from around the world. Highlights include Project Polar with its polar bears, Land of the Tigers with a raised walkway, Lion Country, Lemur Woods and the African Plains, where giraffes and zebras share a large paddock.

There are ranger talks and live shows, a dinosaur-themed Pangea area and six indoor and outdoor play areas, so younger visitors have plenty to do. Next to the entrance, The Yorkshire Hive has shops and places to eat, plus Planet Putt, an indoor adventure golf course that is handy if the weather turns. Families and animal lovers will get the most from a visit.

Tip: Booking tickets in advance is cheaper than buying on the day, and Planet Putt next to the entrance is a good wet-weather add-on.