Stratford Upon Avon Lodge Retreat - Fun Days Out

Anne Hathaway's Cottage in Shottery, just outside Stratford-upon-Avon, is the former farmhouse where Shakespeare's wife-to-be was born and raised. The earliest part dates to 1463, and despite the name it is a twelve-roomed house with visible timber framing and several chimneys. Inside you can see original furniture, including the Hathaway bed, and learn about the family who lived here for 13 generations.

Outside, acres of cottage gardens and orchards are the main draw, along with a sculpture trail inspired by Shakespeare's plays and a giant willow sculpture that makes a good photo spot. There is a garden café and a garden shop. Children aged 4 to 11 can borrow a Nature Explorer Backpack, with butterfly nets, bug jars and animal footprints for exploring the meadow, orchard and statue garden. It's a good fit for families and anyone interested in Shakespeare's story.

Tip: Pre-booking is recommended. Backpacks are limited and given out first come, first served, so ask for one when you arrive.

Warwick Castle stands on a sandstone bluff at a bend of the River Avon. The Normans built a motte-and-bailey castle here in 1068, and it was rebuilt in stone in the 12th century. The 14th-century facade facing the town is one of the best-known examples of medieval military architecture in Britain. Inside you can explore the interiors, hear the castle's royal stories and learn its history from expert historians.

It is a full day out rather than a quick look round. There are live shows, including a bird of prey display with over 60 birds, and you can see Britain's largest siege machine, the trebuchet, up close. Younger visitors can try the Horrible Histories Maze and the Princess Tower storytelling, while the Castle Dungeon covers the darker side of Warwick's past. The castle also has 64 acres of grounds and gardens to wander.

Tip: Pre-book online to guarantee entry; advance tickets are cheaper and include a Rainy Day Promise.

Drayton Manor Resort is a family theme park and zoo in Drayton Bassett, Staffordshire, set in the grounds of the former Drayton Manor. It has over 50 rides and attractions split into themed areas, including Adventure Cove, Vikings, Frontier Falls and Thomas Land.

Thomas Land is the big draw for young children, with over 25 Thomas & Friends rides and attractions, and it is described as Europe's only one. Older kids and thrill seekers can head for the roller coasters, including Thor, a Disk'O Coaster, and Loki, the UK's first Zamperla Nebulaz. The 15-acre zoo is home to over 100 animals, including red pandas, Eurasian lynx, monkeys and gibbons. It suits families with toddlers and young children best, and there is a hotel on site if you want to extend the visit.

Tip: Book tickets in advance online to save money, and leave time for the zoo as well as the rides.

The Black Country Living Museum in Dudley is an open-air museum of rebuilt, replica and recreated shops, houses and industrial workshops, spread across 26 acres of former industrial land. Historic characters in period settings chat to visitors and demonstrate traditional skills, such as hand-forging nails and casting brass. The visit is self-guided, so you can explore at your own pace.

Highlights include a working replica of the Newcomen steam engine, a colliery with an underground drift, canal-side lime kilns and a 1930s fairground. Electric trams and trolleybuses carry you from the entrance to the village, and a narrowboat trip runs into Dudley Tunnel. There are eateries on site. It suits history fans, families and anyone curious about the Industrial Revolution, and Peaky Blinders fans can see screen-used sets from the show.

Tip: Allow 4 to 5 hours, and head first to the trams or trolleybuses to reach the village at the heart of the site.

Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire is run by English Heritage, and much of it is in ruins. Its massive Norman keep dates from the 1120s, and in 1266 the castle endured one of the longest sieges in medieval English history. Later, Robert Dudley, a childhood friend of Elizabeth I, spent fortunes turning it into a showpiece mansion to impress the queen.

You can climb up to the queen's apartments for fantastic views over the castle and the surrounding countryside, and take in the Great Hall and the keep. The Elizabethan Garden, which Dudley created for the queen's 1575 visit, has a Renaissance aviary, plant beds full of scent, colour and fruit, and an imposing fountain. There is also a World Builder trail to follow as you explore.

Tip: Climb up to the queen's apartments for views over the castle and surrounding countryside.

Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park is a small zoo on the edge of Cannon Hill Park, run by Birmingham City Council. The council describes a collection of animals from across the world, including lemurs, reptiles, meerkats, otters, birds, wallabies and a large collection of monkeys.

The zoo takes part in captive breeding programmes for endangered animals, and it is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. Educational talks and campaigns are part of its work too.

It suits families and animal lovers who want a zoo visit in the city. The site began as Birmingham Zoo in 1964 and was later known as Birmingham Nature Centre, before taking its current name in 2014.

Tip: You can turn up and pay at reception, but the council encourages everyone to pre-book online and to have the original confirmation email ready to show, as screenshots and forwarded emails aren't accepted.

Coventry has had three cathedrals, and you can see two of them side by side. The old St Michael's was bombed in the Coventry Blitz of 1940 and left as a ruined shell, with only its tower, spire and outer walls surviving. The ruins are Grade I listed and kept as a place of remembrance, with the words "Father Forgive" inscribed on the wall behind the altar.

Next to them stands Basil Spence's new cathedral, consecrated in 1962 and also Grade I listed. Spence wanted it filled with the best contemporary art, and it is known for its mid-20th-century works. Look for Jacob Epstein's bronze of St Michael's victory over the devil outside, and Graham Sutherland's huge Christ in Glory tapestry, which dominates the view from the nave. There is also a Blitz museum, a tower climb and a digital guide. It suits history and art lovers, and anyone wanting a thoughtful change of pace from the park.

Tip: Use the cathedral's digital guide to get more from the ruins and the artworks as you walk round.

Dudley Zoo & Castle is a 40-acre zoo within the grounds of Dudley Castle, in the Black Country. It opened in 1937 and is run today by a registered charity. The castle ruins share the wooded hillside with the animal enclosures.

Animals include giraffes, tigers, lions, reindeer, wallabies and snow leopards, plus several aviaries, a reptile house and a good range of primates. The zoo is also known for its modernist enclosures and buildings, designed by Berthold Lubetkin and the Tecton Group, with engineering by Ove Arup. A chairlift, relaunched in 2012 after a refurbishment, helps with the steep slopes up towards the elephant house.

It suits animal lovers and anyone curious about the architecture or the castle's history.

Tip: The site is steep, and the car park is barrier-operated with a token needed to exit, so keep that in mind when you arrive.