Peckmoor Farm Lodges - Fun Days Out

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.

Forde Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery, now a family home, with nearly 900 years of history. Inside, you can see surviving monastic parts such as the cloisters, the monks' dormitory and the old chapter house, alongside State Rooms with ornate plaster ceilings and four-poster beds. The house is also known for its Mortlake tapestries, woven from the famous Raphael cartoons. It featured in the Hollywood film of Far From the Madding Crowd.

The thirty acres of award-winning gardens are the other big draw. Expect the tall Centenary Fountain, tranquil lakes, a bog garden, a rock garden, woodland walks and a Victorian walled kitchen garden. There are picnic lawns, and the Abbot's Table café serves lunches and homemade cakes. The plant nursery and gift shop can be visited without buying a ticket. It suits garden lovers, history fans and anyone after a relaxed day out.

Tip: Dogs are welcome in the gardens on a short lead, and the nursery and gift shop can be visited without an admission ticket.

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.

Montacute House is a late Elizabethan mansion in South Somerset, completed around 1601 and built of golden local Ham Hill stone. Inside you can explore the ground floor, which is home to the rare Tournai Tapestry, and the Long Gallery is the longest in England and displays portraits as an outpost of the National Portrait Gallery. Outside, the formal garden has lawns, flower borders and the much-loved 'wibbly wobbly' yew hedges, plus a tranquil Orangery.

The wider estate suits walkers, with parkland, the Lime Avenue, veteran trees and heritage apple orchards. Waymarked trails lead through woodland and up St Michael's Hill to Prospect Tower, which has views over the Somerset countryside. There is a natural play area for children, a courtyard café in the old service buildings, a shop and a second-hand book barn.

Tip: Parking is free, and timed entry tickets are used on busier days, so check before you set off. The Ladies' Walk is a 45-minute climb with lovely views over the village.

Glastonbury Tor is a conical hill rising from the Somerset Levels, topped by the roofless 15th-century tower of St Michael's Church. Excavations at the summit revealed the plans of two earlier churches on the site. The Tor is cared for by the National Trust and has been a place of religious significance for over 1,000 years, linked with Christian and pagan beliefs and with Arthurian legend and the Isle of Avalon.

The main thing to do is walk up. The paths to the top are concrete, with a bench halfway, and the reward is views over the Somerset Levels, Dorset, Wiltshire and Wales. Look out for the terraced slopes, whose origins are still unexplained. It is a good place to stretch your legs, take in the history and wildlife, and unwind.

Tip: There is no parking at the Tor itself, so use the nearest fee-paying car park at Draper and Co on Chilkwell Street and walk, and keep your dog on a lead because sheep graze here.

This museum, now called the Royal Navy Museum, Naval Aviation (formerly the Fleet Air Arm Museum of the NMRN), tells the story of British naval aviation. It sits on the RNAS Yeovilton airfield, about 7 miles north of Yeovil. Its collection takes in military and civilian aircraft, aero engines, models of aircraft and Royal Navy ships, especially aircraft carriers, plus paintings and drawings on the subject.

At the entrance you will see anchors from the fleet carriers HMS Ark Royal and HMS Eagle. The museum also has viewing areas where you can watch military aircraft, especially helicopters, take off and land. Displays have included the Merlin Experience, on modern anti-submarine techniques, and Barracuda Live, about the rebuild of a Fairey Barracuda. Exhibitions change over time, so check what is currently on before you go. It suits anyone interested in aircraft, ships and naval history.

Tip: Head for the viewing areas if you want to watch military aircraft, especially helicopters, take off and land.

Barrington Court is a National Trust estate near Ilminster, centred on a Tudor manor house begun around 1538. The Trust acquired it in 1907, and it was restored in the 1920s by Colonel Lyle and his wife. Strode House, a former stable and coach block, stands alongside.

The formal walled gardens were influenced by Gertrude Jekyll and include a Lily Garden, a White Garden and a Rose and Iris Garden, plus lawns, orchards and a kitchen garden. Beyond them, the estate covers over 70 acres of parkland, farm buildings and cottages, with walks to explore. Beagles Café serves lunches, cakes and hot drinks, and there is a shop, a second-hand book barn and independent craft workshops on the Avenue. There is space for picnics on the South Lawn, and the National Trust describes it as family friendly. Dogs are welcome on leads in the garden (except the Kitchen Garden) and parkland.

Tip: Sat navs can direct you to the rear entrance, so use the what3words location ///rags.could.galaxy and follow the brown tourist signs. Check the National Trust page for what is open before you go.

Lyme Regis Museum overlooks Lyme Bay and the Jurassic Coast, and it is built on the site of the former home and fossil shop of Mary Anning. Three galleries tell the story of the town across 200 million years, using objects, audio and touchscreens, with plenty of interactive and touch exhibits.

The ground floor covers the history of Lyme Regis, including its maritime and social past. Upstairs, the Geology Gallery has celebrated fossils and tells the story of Mary Anning and the birth of palaeontology, while the Writers' Gallery looks at authors and artists connected to the town. The top floor covers the Lyme Regis Railway, Lyme at War and working life through the ages, plus the Rotunda Gallery with changing art exhibitions. Families with children can pick up a Museum Trail at Reception. Fossil fans, history lovers and anyone curious about Mary Anning will get the most from it.

Tip: If you're visiting with children, ask for the Museum Trail at Reception, which comes with the admission ticket.