1-Bedroom Hot Tub Hut in Ludgershall - Fun Days Out

The Ashmolean is the University of Oxford's museum of art and archaeology, founded in 1683 and widely described as Britain's first public museum. Its collections range from Egyptian mummies to contemporary art, telling human stories across cultures and across time. Highlights include the Egypt and Nubia galleries and the Chinese Picture Gallery, the only museum gallery in Britain devoted to Chinese paintings.

Allow time to wander floor by floor, using the interactive floor guide or one of the gallery trails to shape your visit. There is a café, a shop and a Rooftop Restaurant for lunch or afternoon tea. It suits curious families, couples and anyone who enjoys history and art, and it works well as a rainy-day option.

Tip: Groups must book ahead, and booking is strongly recommended for the major ticketed exhibition.

Whipsnade Zoo is the UK's largest zoo, run by the Zoological Society of London, a conservation charity. It covers 600 acres on the Dunstable Downs, and you can walk between the enclosures or drive your own car around. Look out for the huge White Lion carved into the hillside.

Highlights include Passage Through Asia, a paddock with no boundaries between you and the camels, deer and yaks, which you reach by car or on the Jumbo Express train. You can also walk through the lemur enclosure, wander among the butterflies in the Butterfly House, see the pride of lions, and follow the 2 km Monkey Forest walk. The Great Whipsnade Railway is a 2 ft 6 in narrow-gauge line that runs through the park.

Tip: Book tickets online in advance, as the zoo says its best prices are always online. Last entry is one hour before closing.

Gulliver's Land is a children's theme park resort in Milton Keynes, designed with rides and shows for ages 2 to 13. It opened in 1999 and has themed areas including Lilliput Land, Adventure Land, Discovery Bay and Toy Land. Rides range from gentle first rides to family adventures, with Western World and the JCB Zone among the highlights. The Jungle Falls giant waterslides and the Python roller coaster are part of the mix too.

Next door, Gulliver's Dinosaur and Farm Park is a separate attraction, known for its animatronic dinosaurs of various sizes. The farm area has farmyard animals and interactive attractions. Blast Arena, an indoor game for ages 6 and over, is also on site, with goggles, vest and blaster provided.

It's a good fit for families with young children, especially those looking for their first rides.

Tip: Parking is free on site. If you're coming by car, put MK15 0DT into your satnav and follow the brown signs from M1 Junction 14.

Blenheim Palace is one of England's largest houses, found in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Designed in the rare English Baroque style, it was a reward to the 1st Duke of Marlborough for his victory at the Battle of Blenheim, which gave the palace its name.

It is still a family home, as well as a mausoleum and national monument. You can explore the grand interiors, then head out to the park and gardens, which members of the Churchill family reshaped over the generations. The land was once a royal deer park, and the spring where Henry II's mistress, Fair Rosamund, is said to have bathed still remains. The story of how the palace was built is full of politics and controversy too.

Tip: Look out for Fair Rosamund's spring, which survives from the old royal deer park at Woodstock.

Bekonscot in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, is a model village built at one inch to one foot and opened to the public in 1929. It is commonly described as the oldest surviving model village in the UK. Its miniature villages capture rural English life in the 1930s, with a cathedral, castle, airport, zoo and cricket match, plus shops with punning names such as Miss A. Stitch the dressmaker. A gauge 1 model railway links the villages, and gardens surround the models.

You can walk round at your own pace, looking down on the scenes from different viewpoints. There is also a 7¼ inch gauge ride-on railway, self-drive boats, a children's play area and a tearoom. Families, model railway fans and anyone who enjoys fine detail will get the most from it. Reviewers say it still works well on a wet day.

Tip: Head for the ride-on miniature railway and look out for the punning shop names as you go round.

Worcester College is one of the University of Oxford's colleges, founded in 1714 on a site where learning had gone on since the late 13th century. The main quad mixes an imposing 18th-century neo-classical building with a row of medieval "cottages", among the oldest residential buildings in Oxford.

Make for the chapel, redecorated by William Burges in the 1860s. It is mostly pink, with carved animals on the pews, including kangaroos and whales, and frescoes of dodos and peacocks. Outside, the college has 26 acres of leafy gardens and grounds to wander, and its website lists a self-guided tour. It suits history lovers and anyone who enjoys a look at unusual architecture.

Tip: Check the college's visiting hours on its website before you go, and look at the self-guided tour.

Christ Church is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, founded by King Henry VIII in 1546. It is the only academic institution in the world that is also a cathedral, and Christ Church Cathedral doubles as the college chapel.

The grounds hold several architecturally significant buildings. Tom Quad is the largest quadrangle in Oxford, and Tom Tower was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. The Great Dining Hall was the seat of the parliament King Charles I assembled during the English Civil War. Buildings here have appeared in films including Harry Potter and The Golden Compass, and the college counts Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland, among its former students.

It's a good pick for history lovers and film fans, and the buildings are the main draw for anyone exploring Oxford.