Moat Barn - Fun Days Out

Framlingham Castle is a Norman-era castle in the Suffolk market town of Framlingham, now looked after by English Heritage. Its curtain wall has thirteen towers and no central keep, and you can follow the wall-top walk right round the defences. Panels point out the town, the outer earthworks and the Mere, and the tall Tudor chimneys on the towers each have a different brick design.

Inside, an exhibition tells the castle's stories, from medieval aristocrats and a Tudor queen to the poorhouse children of the Georgian workhouse that once stood here. A free audio guide is available, and families can try on costumes and play interactive games. There is somewhere to stop for a bite too. It suits history fans, families and anyone who likes a good view over a pretty town.

Tip: Book advance tickets online to save money on the gate price, and pick up the free audio guide to get more from the wall walk.

Colchester Zoo has been open since 1963 and is home to many rare and endangered species, including big cats, primates, birds, invertebrates and fish. The animals are arranged in themed zones, so you move from one habitat to the next as you explore.

Highlights include Elephant Kingdom, where a herd of African bush elephants has a pool and waterfall, and Kingdom of the Wild, a savannah-style habitat with giraffes, white rhinos and zebras. You can also see Komodo dragons, Humboldt penguins, cheetahs and Malayan sun bears. Australian Rainbows has a walk-through aviary where you can feed nectar to free-flying lorikeets, and there are walk-through areas with iguanas and farm animals.

The zoo describes itself as a full day out and says you may need to visit twice to see everything.

Tip: Arrive close to opening, and book e-tickets online at least 24 hours ahead to get the cheaper rate. If you arrive after midday, visit Kingdom of the Wild and Elephant Kingdom first, as they close an hour early.

Woodbridge Tide Mill is a rare tide mill that still grinds wholemeal flour, with a huge oak water wheel that you can often see turning. A mill has stood on this riverside site since medieval times, and the white-boarded building you visit today is Grade I listed. The mill itself is the exhibit, so you get a close look at the machinery as you go.

You explore across three floors: the Pit Floor, the Stone Floor and the Crown Floor. Computer generated imagery and children's activities explain how grain and flour move around the mill. It suits families, history fans and anyone curious about how things work. Stairs are narrow and there is no lift, but an interactive tour and app let you look around without climbing.

Tip: There's no parking at the mill itself, so use one of the pay and display car parks in Woodbridge, or walk from the station. Check the wheel turning times calendar before you go.

Christchurch Mansion is a Tudor house in Christchurch Park, close to Ipswich town centre. Built on the site of a medieval priory, it has over 500 years of history. You can wander through period rooms, from the Tudor kitchen and the Georgian saloon to the Victorian wing, and imagine how owners and servants once lived.

The art is a big draw, with the largest collection of Thomas Gainsborough and John Constable paintings outside London. You will also find musical instruments, toys and glassware. There is a museum shop and a tea room that can be reached from the park. History fans, art lovers and families will all find plenty to enjoy, and the '50 Ways to Play' challenge sheet gives children ideas for the house and park.

Tip: Download the free Bloomberg Connects guide before you go, as the Mansion has no Wi-Fi, and note there is no parking at the museum.

Landguard Fort guards the approach to Harwich Harbour, and it was the site of the last opposed seaborne invasion of England, when the Dutch landed in 1667 and were repulsed by the Royal Marines. The current fort dates from the 18th century and was altered in the 19th, with further batteries added in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was manned through both World Wars.

Explore the maze of rooms and passageways, and find out about gunpowder and mines in the magazines. Two of the old gun casemates were turned into a Cold War control room in 1951. Climb up to the Harwich Bastion for views across the Port of Felixstowe. Next door, Felixstowe Museum is housed in the 1878 Submarine Mining Establishment and covers the military and social history of the town. The fort is run by Landguard Fort Trust with a team of volunteers.

Tip: Book tickets in advance on the Landguard Fort Trust website, though you can also buy them on arrival.

Helmingham Hall is a moated manor house in Suffolk, begun by John Tollemache in 1480 and owned by the Tollemache family ever since. The house itself is not open to the public, but you can admire it from the grounds, with its 60-foot-wide moat and two working drawbridges that have been pulled up every night since 1510.

The gardens are the main draw. They include extensive herbaceous borders, a rose garden, a knot garden, a parterre, a walled garden, an allée and an orchard. Beyond them lies a 400-acre deer park with herds of red and fallow deer. Both the house and the gardens are Grade I listed, so history fans and nature lovers have plenty to look at.

Orford Castle is a 12th-century castle in Suffolk, built by Henry II between 1165 and 1173 to strengthen royal power in the region. Its keep is the main draw. Historian R. Allen Brown called it "one of the most remarkable keeps in England", and its design is unique, possibly inspired by Byzantine architecture.

The keep is a 27-metre circular tower with three rectangular towers built out from its sides. It stands within the earthen remains of the castle's outer defences, and it has views over Orford Ness.

It suits history lovers and anyone curious about medieval architecture. The story behind the design is a good talking point, with historians linking its shape to political symbolism and to the walls of Constantinople. It sits in Orford, a village that Henry's drainage works helped turn into a sheltered port.

Colchester Castle is a Norman castle dating from the second half of the eleventh century. Its keep is mostly intact and is the largest of its kind anywhere in Europe. The Normans built it on the foundations of the Roman Temple of Claudius, the largest Roman temple in Britain, so Roman and medieval history sit together in one building.

Inside is Colchester Museum, which has an important collection of Roman exhibits. You can see the keep's thick walls, which include Roman brick and tile, and learn how the castle endured a three-month siege in 1216 and later served as a prison. The castle gives its name to Castle Park, where it stands. It is a Grade I listed building and a scheduled monument, and it will suit history fans and curious older children.