Bottom Lodge - Fun Days Out

Bristol Zoo Project is a wildlife conservation park in South Gloucestershire, run by Bristol Zoological Society. It covers a large site, and its areas are designed to link ecosystems and conservation programmes around the world. Current areas include Bear Wood, Benoué National Park and Discover Madagascar.

The animals include reticulated giraffes, Southeast African cheetahs, Grant's zebra, Western lowland gorillas, European brown bears, Eurasian wolves and wolverines. There are also several kinds of lemur, as well as meerkats, red pandas and gelada. Bear Wood is an environment designed to mimic England in 8,000 BC. The site also grows a third of the food for the animals, so there is a working side to the place as well as the animal areas.

Chepstow Castle stretches along a limestone cliff above the River Wye. Building began in 1067 under William fitz Osbern, a close friend of William the Conqueror, and it is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain. Over the centuries it passed to powerful figures such as William Marshal and Roger Bigod, each of whom left their mark.

You can explore the Great Tower, the gatehouse, Marten's Tower, the Tudor apartments and the four baileys that show how the castle grew and changed. It is a good fit for history fans and anyone curious about how castles evolved to cope with new weapons. An audio guide and guidebook are available, and the castle has a gift shop. Dogs on short leads are welcome on the ground floor levels.

Tip: Book online to save 5%. The main path is a steep slope and the steps can be uneven or slippery when wet, so wear sturdy shoes.

SS Great Britain is a museum ship on Bristol's harbourside, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. When launched in 1843 she was the largest passenger ship in the world, and one of the first iron, propeller-driven ocean liners. She sits on a glass 'sea', and the visit also takes in the Being Brunel Museum, the historic dockyard with its cranes and masts, and the Brunel Institute's maritime archive.

In Being Brunel you can explore the engineer's life and ideas, climb into a broad-gauge carriage and try to draw a perfect circle on a 'moving' train. The Dock Office lets you head back to 1850 and experience the Great Western Steamship Company's Grade-II listed headquarters. It suits families, history fans and anyone after a solid day out in Bristol, and the site is described as one of the city's largest indoor heritage attractions, built for all weather.

Tip: Parking is available at the Maritime Heritage Centre car park next to the site, and you pay at the ticket desks. The Long Ashton Park & Ride is an alternative Monday to Saturday.}

Aerospace Bristol sits on Filton Airfield, in a First World War Grade II listed hangar and a purpose-built Concorde hangar. The galleries trace over 100 years of aviation history, from the early pioneers through two world wars and the space race to today's aerospace industry, with exhibits from model aircraft to helicopters, rockets and missiles.

The star is Concorde Alpha Foxtrot, the last Concorde built and the last to fly. A projection show of three short films plays onto the side of the aircraft, and then you can step aboard. There's also a conservation workshop where you can watch volunteers restore historic Bristol aircraft, plus hands-on exhibits, an outdoor play area and children's trails.

It suits families with curious kids, plane enthusiasts and anyone who fancies a rainy-day visit indoors.

Tip: Allow at least three hours, and head for Concorde and its projection show first.

Barry Island Pleasure Park is an amusement park on the coast of the Vale of Glamorgan, about 10 miles south west of Cardiff. It sits opposite the sandy beachfront and has fairground rides, games and stalls, and food outlets. Rides range from high-energy thrill rides to classic ones the whole family can share, and you pay for what you ride using tokens.

The park has a long history as a seaside fairground, and the surrounding area, known locally as Barry Island, has more shops, bars and restaurants, plus several amusement arcades. That makes it easy to combine rides with time on the beach and a meal nearby.

It suits a lively, old-fashioned seaside day out: try the rides, test your skill on the games and soak up the fairground atmosphere.

Tredegar House is a Grade I listed Charles II-era mansion on the edge of Newport, run by the National Trust. For over five hundred years it was home to the Morgan family, later Lords Tredegar. It was rebuilt in red brick, a rare material in Wales at the time, and has been described as one of the outstanding houses of the Restoration period in Britain. Inside, you can see the State Rooms and Below Stairs.

Outside, there are formal gardens with mostly level paths, and the parkland is free to enter. It has an ornamental lake, woodland and plenty of open space, including 20 acres where dogs can run off the lead. The Brewhouse Cafe is part of the Home Farm complex, and there is a second-hand bookshop run by volunteers.

Tip: Dogs are welcome on a lead almost everywhere, but only assistance dogs are allowed in the mansion house. Keep them out of the lake.

Raglan Castle sits just north of the village of Raglan in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. Built and rebuilt between the 15th and early 17th centuries by the Herbert and Somerset families, it was once a luxurious, fortified home, and its large hexagonal keep is known as the Great Tower or the Yellow Tower of Gwent.

Today it is a romantic ruin, and a good place to picture how grand it once was. The castle was surrounded by parkland, water gardens and terraces, and was considered the equal of any other in England or Wales. Its story includes a Civil War siege, when Parliamentarian forces took it in 1646 and deliberately damaged its walls. It's a rewarding stop for anyone who enjoys castles and wants to explore a piece of Welsh history.

The National Roman Legion Museum in Caerleon sits inside the remains of Isca, one of only three permanent legionary fortresses in Roman Britain. The Romans built it in AD 75, and it guarded the region for over 200 years. Inside, exhibitions and artefacts show how Roman soldiers lived, fought, worshipped and died, drawn from a collection of half a million objects from Caerleon, Usk and the surrounding area.

Outside, there is a Roman garden to enjoy, and a family fun area where children can try the life of a Roman soldier. A short walk away are the other Roman sites of Caerleon: the Roman Baths museum, sections of the fortress walls, and the most complete Roman amphitheatre in Britain. You can also see the only remains of a Roman legionary barracks on view anywhere in Europe. It's a good choice for history fans and families with curious children.

Tip: For sat nav, use postcode NP18 1AE (recorded as 'High Street'), and follow the brown helmet signs from the M4.