1-Bedroom Hot Tub Cottage in Spetisbury - Fun Days Out

Monkey World is an ape and monkey rescue centre set in 65 acres near Wool in Dorset. It was founded in 1987 and takes in primates rescued from the illegal pet trade, laboratories and abuse, rehabilitating them into natural living groups.

You can see the largest group of chimpanzees outside Africa, split across four social groups, plus Bornean and Sumatran orangutans. The park also has Europe's only orangutan crèche, five species of gibbon and a wide range of monkeys and lemurs, including capuchins, marmosets, spider monkeys and slow lorises. The lemurs are fed at their window each day around midday. There's also a gift shop, and the centre's work is shown in the TV series Monkey Life.

Tip: Book online in advance, as tickets are cheaper than at the gate.

Paultons Park is a family theme park on the edge of the New Forest National Park in Hampshire, set in 140 acres of parkland. It has rollercoasters, thrill rides, family rides, indoor and outdoor play areas and water splash parks, along with a collection of birds and animals.

Peppa Pig World is the headline area, with Peppa-themed rides and a large indoor playzone. The park also has themed areas including Critter Creek, Lost Kingdom, Tornado Springs and Valgard, a Viking-themed land. The park describes itself as a family venue, and most of its rides are designed for children and families. It will suit families with young children, and anyone who likes a day of rides alongside the animals and gardens.

Tip: Tickets are for a set date and some days sell out, so book your visit date in advance.

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, a World Heritage Site and one of Britain's best-known landmarks. The outer ring of huge sarsen stones, topped with lintels, was raised in the third millennium BC. It sits within a landscape dense with burial mounds and other Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments.

You can walk up to the Stone Circle and take photos, then step into the reconstructed Neolithic houses. Children can have a go at finding out what it takes to move a sarsen stone. The exhibition explains how the builders lived and worked, and includes a Neolithic man brought to life face to face. There's a café for a snack, and plenty of wider landscape to explore on foot.

History fans, families and anyone ticking off an icon will get a lot from it.

Tip: Pre-book your ticket before you travel.

The Cerne Abbas Giant is an ancient figure cut into the chalk hillside above the village of Cerne Abbas. At 180ft tall, it is Britain's largest chalk hill figure and perhaps the best known. Theories about who he is and why he was made range from a symbol of spirituality to Hercules, though National Trust research suggests he was probably first made in the late Saxon period.

There is a viewing area in the car park, and a gentle quarter-mile signposted footpath leads from the village. The surrounding chalk grassland is nationally and European important for rare plants and insects, so look out for wildflowers in summer. Above the giant is the Trendle, an Iron Age earthwork. It suits history fans, walkers and nature lovers. How clearly you see him changes with the light and the season.

Tip: The viewing area in the car park gives the best view; the A352 lay-by is free but offers only a limited view. Keep dogs on leads, and expect mud on the steep slope after rain.

The Tank Museum at Bovington tells the story of tanks and the crews who fought in them. Its collection of around 300 vehicles runs from the First World War through the Second World War and the Cold War to Afghanistan, with exhibitions built around personal stories from the soldiers themselves. It is Dorset's largest indoor attraction.

Highlights include Tiger 131, one of only two Tiger I tanks still able to run, and a British First World War Mark I, the world's oldest surviving combat tank. The Vehicle Conservation Centre is a short walk away and shows more of the collection under cover. There is also a memorial room for Royal Armoured Corps soldiers.

It suits military history fans and families, and there is an on-site café, soft play and shop. Parking is free, and the museum describes its accessibility as excellent.

Tip: Allow 4-5 hours for your visit, and wear comfortable walking shoes as there is a lot of ground to cover.

Corfe Castle is a ruined fortress built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, standing on a steep hill above the village on the Isle of Purbeck. It was one of the earliest English castles built partly in stone, and it was added to over the 12th and 13th centuries. It is also known for the Civil War, when Lady Mary Bankes led its defence through two sieges before it was slighted on Parliament's orders in 1645.

You can wander the ruined walls and towers, then stop at the 18th-century tea-room and garden, which has close-up views of the castle, or browse the shop near the entrance. The site is family friendly, with a picnic area, and dogs are allowed on short leads at all times. Expect steep slopes, steps and uneven paths throughout.

Tip: The car park fills up quickly in busy periods, so consider an alternative car park or arrive in the afternoon, when it tends to be quieter.

Salisbury Cathedral is a leading example of Early English Gothic design. It was built in just 38 years from 1220, which gives it an unusually consistent style. Its 404-foot spire is the tallest in England, and the Cathedral Close around it is the largest in Britain.

Inside, you can see one of the oldest working clocks in the world and one of the four surviving original copies of Magna Carta, kept in the Chapter House. Behind-the-scenes options include the Stonemasonry Works Yard, a Tower Tour to the foot of the spire and the historic Library. There are also free tours and demonstrations, including stained glass window tours and the medieval clock demonstration.

It is a living church, so you may hear choristers rehearsing or the organ being played. There is a restaurant and a gift shop on site.

Tip: Allow plenty of time to park if you drive. The nearest public car parks, Lush House (SP2 7TD) and Old George Mall (SP1 2PH), are about a five-minute walk away.

Shaftesbury Abbey Museum & Gardens sits in a commanding spot with views over the Blackmore Vale, close to the famous Gold Hill. The ruins lie in a peaceful walled garden, and only the foundations of the abbey survive.

King Alfred the Great founded the abbey in AD 888 as the first great abbey just for women. By the time of Henry VIII it was the wealthiest and most important Benedictine nunnery in England, and it was the last abbey he destroyed, in 1539. The museum tells the story of the abbey and the people who lived there. It displays items recovered in archaeological excavations, alongside a digital representation of how the abbey may have looked.

There is a gift shop and refreshments on site. One Google review quoted by the abbey mentions enthusiastic, knowledgeable staff and delicious cake.

Tip: Gold Hill is close by, so the two can be combined in one trip.