Kipling Lodge - 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.

Little Moreton Hall is an iconic Tudor manor house encircled by a moat. Building began around 1504 and carried on in stages until about 1610. The result is a highly irregular half-timbered house with wonky angles and a top-heavy look, thanks to the Long Gallery on the upper floor. It is Grade I listed and has been described as "lifted straight from a fairy story, a gingerbread house".

Wander round the courtyard and the house, then stroll the knot garden, seasonal borders and traditional viewing mounds. Volunteers and a Living History Team help bring the Hall's stories to life, and families can pick up spotter activities. There are two tea rooms and a pre-loved bookshop in the Welcome Building. Expect steep spiral staircases, uneven floors and a cobbled courtyard.

Tip: Head to the Welcome Building first, as all visitors must. Dogs on leads are welcome on the front lawn, car park area and canal path, but only assistance dogs go inside.

Gladstone Pottery Museum in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, is a working museum of a medium-sized coal-fired pottery, the kind once common across North Staffordshire. It is a grade II* listed complex, and its bottle kilns are among the few that survive in the city.

You can explore the bottle kilns, the engine house, the slip room and the saggar-making workshop, and try hands-on displays of throwing, moulding and decorating. Galleries cover the history of tiles and of sanitary ware, and the shop sells ceramics made and decorated at the museum. It suits families, history fans and anyone who has watched The Great Pottery Throw Down, which has been filmed here.

Tip: Opening days and hours change through the year and the museum has periods of closure, so check the Gladstone website or call before you set off. Only trained assistance dogs are allowed on site.

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.

The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery is on Bethesda Street in Hanley, one of the six towns of Stoke-on-Trent. It tells the story of the Potteries through art, local history, natural science and the world's greatest collection of Staffordshire ceramics, and all its collections are Designated.

The big draw is the Supermarine Spitfire, on permanent display in its own gallery. R. J. Mitchell, who designed the earlier Marks, came from nearby Butt Lane. The café serves sandwiches, baked potatoes and the local Staffordshire oatcakes, and there is a shop for gifts and books. The building is step-free, so it works well for pushchairs and wheelchairs. The museum is going through a major redevelopment, so only part of it is open at the moment.

Tip: Check the museum's website before you set off to see which galleries are open during the redevelopment.

Lud's Church is a deep chasm cut into the Millstone Grit, created by a massive landslip on the hillside above Gradbach. It sits in Back Forest, towards the southwest edge of the Peak District National Park. The rift is over 100 metres long and 18 metres deep, mossy and overgrown, and wet and cool even on the hottest days.

The place has a story to match. The Lollards, followers of the church reformer John Wycliffe, are supposed to have used it as a secret place of worship in the early 15th century. It has also been suggested as the Green Chapel in the medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and it appears in books by Alan Garner and Marcus Sedgwick.

Tip: Look for it in Back Forest above Gradbach, about 2.5 miles west of the A53 between Leek and Buxton.