Sandybrook Lodges - Fun Days Out

Alton Towers is one of the UK's largest and most popular theme parks, set in over 500 acres of Staffordshire countryside. The rides range from big rollercoasters such as Wicker Man, Nemesis Reborn, The Smiler and Oblivion to gentler family rides, and there are over 40 rides and attractions in all. There's also a waterpark, mini golf and landscaped gardens.

It suits thrill-seekers and families alike. Younger children can head to CBeebies Land, while older ones can take on the headline coasters. History fans can wander the original gothic-style Towers, which date from the estate's days as a stately home. Most visitors spend a full day here, and it's busiest at weekends and school holidays.

Tip: Pre-book your ticket online before you go, as everyone needs one and sold-out dates can't be bought on the day.

Gulliver's Kingdom is a theme park in Matlock Bath, aimed at children aged 3-13. It sits on a hillside on the edge of the Peak District National Park, so many of the rides come with views over the Derwent Valley. The Crows Nest Quest is there to climb, and the log flume runs high above the valley.

The park began in 1978 as a model village and grew from there. Its main rollercoaster is named after the Victorian Switchback ride that once stood nearby. There are rides built with younger thrill-seekers in mind, so it suits families with little ones who want a full day of rides rather than anything too extreme.

Tip: Leaving the car behind? Matlock Bath station is a 10-15 minute walk away, and a valid public transport ticket can bring a discount on entry.

Chatsworth is a Grade I listed stately home in the Derbyshire Dales, home to the Devonshire family for 17 generations. Inside, over 25 rooms show art and artefacts spanning 4,000 years, including the Painted Hall, the State Rooms and the Sculpture Gallery. Some rooms close for annual conservation, so not every one is always open.

Outside, the 105-acre garden has an arboretum, a rock garden, fountains, sculptures and both historic and modern waterworks. The farmyard has been a favourite with children since 1973, with animals such as Eugenie the Suffolk Punch mare and the pygmy goats Itsy and Bitsy. A secret tunnel leads to a woodland playground with towers, slides, swings, and sand and water play. There are restaurants and shops on the estate too, so you can easily fill a full day.

Tip: Book online in advance for free parking. Prams and rucksack-style baby carriers aren't allowed in the house, but there is left luggage near the entrance.

Dovedale is a valley in the Peak District, cut by the River Dove and running for just over 3 miles between Milldale and a wooded ravine near Thorpe Cloud. It is a National Nature Reserve, with ancient ravine woodland, wildflowers, limestone crags and plenty of wildlife.

The walk is the main event. Head for the stepping stones across the river, then look out for the Dove Holes caves, Ilam Rock, Lover's Leap and Reynard's Cave. At the northern end, Milldale has the medieval packhorse bridge known as Viator's Bridge. Thorpe Cloud, an isolated limestone hill, gives views up the dale and south across the Midlands plain.

It suits walkers, nature lovers and anyone who likes a bit of history, as people have used the caves here for thousands of years. Next door, Ilam Park has a tea-room, a formal Italian garden and a natural play area for children.

Tip: Bring coins or a bank card for the Dovedale car park, or use Ilam Park's car park instead. Tickets aren't valid at both, and the paths have uneven surfaces, steps and stiles.

Cromford Mills is where Richard Arkwright developed the world's first water-powered cotton spinning mill in 1771. The Grade I listed site is the centrepiece of the Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is a multi-use visitor centre with shops, galleries, restaurants and cafes.

Arkwright chose Cromford for its year-round water supply from Cromford Sough and Bonsall Brook. He ran the mills day and night and built housing for his workers nearby, with shops, pubs, chapels and a school. Stuart Fisher describes this housing as "the first factory housing development in the world". The Arkwright Society owns the complex and is restoring it. The nearby Cromford Canal towpath runs to High Peak Junction and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Kedleston Hall is a National Trust country house with a Palladian exterior and Neo-classical interiors, built in the 1760s for the Curzon family and designed largely by Robert Adam. Inside, the Marble Hall is the showpiece, with twenty pink alabaster columns and a skylit roof, followed by the domed circular Saloon. The hall also has a museum and a link to the family's colonial history, and there is a restaurant, shop and second-hand bookshop on site.

Outside, the parkland and pleasure grounds are good for a long wander, with walking routes, picnic tables near the visitor reception and a family-friendly orienteering course. The medieval church of All Saints, the only survivor of the village that was moved to make way for the house, is reached through the gardens. It suits history and architecture fans, families and anyone who likes a stroll after a stately-home visit. Dogs on leads are welcome outdoors.

Tip: For sat nav, use postcode DE22 5JD for the main entrance, and note the paths in the park can get muddy and slippery when wet.

Haddon Hall is an English country house on the River Wye near Bakewell in Derbyshire, and a former seat of the Dukes of Rutland. Its origins go back to the 11th century, with major building carried out between the 13th and 16th centuries. It has been described as "the most complete and most interesting house of [its] period".

Inside, you can see the banqueting hall with its minstrels' gallery, the kitchens and parlour dating from 1370, the Long Gallery and St Nicholas Chapel, where pre-Reformation frescoes were long hidden under whitewash. Outside, the walled topiary garden has clipped heraldic boar's head and peacock shapes. The house is also tied to a 19th-century legend that Dorothy Vernon eloped with John Manners during a ball in 1563, a story that has inspired novels and dramatisations. The house and its gardens are both Grade I listed.

Sudbury Hall is the Vernon family's 17th-century country house, now run by the National Trust as The Children's Country House. The Grade I listed hall is known for its Great Staircase, ceiling paintings by Louis Laguerre and carvings by Grinling Gibbons. Inside, you can pose for a portrait in the Long Gallery, dance in the Saloon and play games in the Drawing Room.

The Museum of Childhood, in the old servants' wing, looks at growing up through the centuries. It has hands-on activities, a Victorian classroom and a chimney climb. Outside, the garden has a historic parterre, a lake, a boathouse and Bluebell Wood, plus den-building in the woodland and a small play area. The stableyard has picnic benches and a café. It suits families, and it works whatever the weather.

Tip: Parking is free, about 300m from the main entrance. Follow the path to the Hall. Check the opening times before you set off.