4-Bedroom Hot Tub Lodge in Steeple Bumpstead - Fun Days Out

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.