1-Bedroom Cottage with Hot Tub in Biddenden - Fun Days Out

Sissinghurst Castle Garden was created by the writer Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson, who bought the run-down farmstead in 1930. It is among the most famous gardens in England and is Grade I listed. The design is a series of enclosed "garden rooms" linked by straight walks, and the White Garden is the best known of them. The plant collection is particularly strong on old garden roses.

Beyond the garden there is plenty of history. The estate has been occupied since the Middle Ages, and the Tower, built in the 1560s, is one of the surviving parts of a much larger courtyard house. The wider estate has lakes, a moat and ponds to explore, and there is a restaurant, coffee shop, shop and plant shop on site. Gardeners and anyone interested in the Sackville-West and Nicolson story will find most to enjoy.

Tip: Pushchairs aren't allowed in the main garden because of narrow paths, but baby carriers are fine. Dogs on leads can use the wider estate but not the formal garden. Check the National Trust page for opening times and any closures before you go.

Bodiam Castle is a 14th-century moated castle near Robertsbridge in East Sussex. Sir Edward Dalyngrigge built it in 1385 with the permission of Richard II, ostensibly to defend the area against French invasion during the Hundred Years' War. It has no keep. Instead, the chambers were built around the outer walls and inner courts, with towers at the corners and the entrance, topped by battlements.

Inside, the interior is ruined, but you can still climb the spiral staircases, walk along the battlements and pass under the portcullis. The castle sits in an artificial watery landscape, and the grounds are open to explore. There's a shop, a tea-room overlooking the river and a second-hand bookshop by the river. The National Trust runs family trails and other events through the year.

Tip: You don't need to book in advance, but the car park uses the JustPark app, so download it and set up an account before you arrive. The towers are reached by steep spiral staircases.

Howletts is a wild animal park in the parish of Bekesbourne, near Canterbury, set in about 90 acres of ancient parkland. It opened to the public in 1975 and is run by a charity, the Aspinall Foundation, so your ticket goes towards its conservation work. The park is known for breeding rare and endangered species and has some of the largest family groups of western lowland gorillas in the world.

Besides the gorillas, you can see elephants, tigers and lion-tailed macaques. Walking with Lemurs lets you stroll alongside ring-tailed, crowned and red-bellied lemurs as they move through the branches overhead. Free animal talks and feeding sessions are included with entry, and the day's times are on boards outside the gatehouse and by the BBQ outlet. Paid animal experience days take small groups behind the scenes with a keeper. It suits families, couples and anyone who likes animals.

Tip: Book online in advance: it gives you access to the park's wet weather policy. Check the talk and feeding boards by the gatehouse when you arrive.

Dreamland is an amusement park and entertainment centre built around a traditional English seaside funfair in Margate, Kent. The site has hosted amusement rides since 1880, and the Dreamland name dates from 1920, when the Grade II* listed Scenic Railway wooden rollercoaster opened. The park was restored and reopened in 2015 after years of closure, following a public campaign to save it.

Beyond the rides, Dreamland is also a live music and events venue. Its What's On page lists gigs, comedy nights and family shows across venues that include a ballroom, the Hall by the Sea and a scenic stage. Each event carries an age guide, so it's easy to see what suits your group. The site's history is part of the appeal, with listed Gothic walls and animal cages from the Victorian pleasure gardens still on its boundaries.

Tip: Check the What's On page before you go: events show age guidance, and popular ones can sell out, so book ahead.

Leeds Castle stands on islands in a lake formed by the River Len, about 7 miles south-east of Maidstone in Kent. It is a Grade I listed estate, and a castle has stood on the site since Saxon times. The building you see today is mostly early 19th century, remodelled in a Tudor style.

The history is royal. Edward I made it a favourite residence and probably created the lake, and Henry VIII used it as a home for his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Inside, a painting of Henry VIII meeting Francis I of France still hangs on the wall, and a commemorative sundial links the castle with Virginia. It suits anyone keen on castles and royal history.

Tip: Look out for the painting of Henry VIII meeting Francis I of France, and the doublet worn at the Battle of Maidstone, both on display.

Canterbury Cathedral is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Church of England. It stands on the site of one of the oldest Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site, along with St Augustine's Abbey and the ancient Church of St Martin.

The cathedral was founded in 597 and rebuilt after a fire in the 11th century. The east end was later rebuilt in the Gothic style to welcome the pilgrims who came to the shrine of Thomas Becket, the archbishop murdered here in 1170. Look out for the large crypt beneath the eastern arm, which dates from the Norman rebuilding. It is a good choice if you like medieval architecture and the stories of kings, monks and pilgrims behind a building.

Battle Abbey, run by English Heritage as 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield, is the site where William the Conqueror's Normans met King Harold's English army. The abbey was founded by William soon after the conquest, said to be on the spot where Harold died. Start at the visitor centre, where interactive displays and a film tell the story of the battle, then pick up the audio tour and walk the battlefield, looking out for the dramatic wooden figures.

Afterwards you can explore the abbey ruins and climb to the gatehouse rooftop for panoramic views. An exhibition inside the gatehouse covers the abbey's history, and there's a walled garden and an ice house to investigate. There's a big café near the gatehouse and a children's playground inspired by the site's history, so it works well for families, and anyone with an interest in English history.

Tip: Head to the visitor centre first to get the story of the battle, then take the audio tour round the battlefield.

Scotney Castle is a National Trust property near Lamberhurst, set in a wooded valley. The star is the ruined medieval Old Castle, which sits on an island in a small lake. Sloping gardens run down to the water, with rhododendrons, azaleas and kalmia in spring, wisteria and roses in summer, and strong autumn colour. The garden is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

At the top of the garden stands the house built to replace the Old Castle, designed by Anthony Salvin in an unusually restrained Tudor Revival style. Beyond the garden, the estate has parkland and woodland to walk through. The Quarry Garden holds the impression of a dinosaur's footprint, which children tend to enjoy hunting for. There is a tea-room in the courtyard, a shop and a plant shop. It suits garden lovers, couples, walkers and anyone who likes a good castle view.

Tip: The car park is small, so check the National Trust website for current parking booking rules before you set off.