Woodland Waters - Fun Days Out

Belton House is a Grade I listed country house near Grantham, built between 1685 and 1687 for the Brownlow family. It sits within formal gardens, including Italian and Dutch gardens, and a wooded park crossed by avenues leading to follies. The park has been home to a herd of fallow deer for over 300 years.

Beyond the mansion, there is plenty to fill a day. The estate has one of the National Trust's largest outdoor adventure playgrounds, an indoor play area, a shop, a second-hand bookshop and the Stables Café, plus picnic benches in the gardens. A circular walk in Belton Park passes ancient woodland and the site of a deserted medieval village.

It suits families with children, garden and history fans, and anyone who enjoys a long wander through parkland.

Tip: There's no need to book for normal visits, and parking is included in the entry fee. Park in the grounds, not in Belton village. Dogs on leads are welcome in the gardens, parkland and café, but not in the house or playgrounds.

Twinlakes is a 100-acre family theme park just north-east of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire. A large share of the rides are aimed at young children, so it suits families better than thrill-chasing adults. The park bills itself as all-action and all-weather, and says its water park is all inclusive, with unlimited rides, slides and splashes.

Attractions include a roller coaster, log flume, go karts, bumper boats, a boating lake, a toboggan slide and an assault course. There's also a small zoo, a falconry centre and a model village. A miniature railway carries you between different parts of the park. The park is split into zones, which helps with finding your way around. Groups of adults without children aren't admitted, so it's strictly a family day out.

Tip: Book tickets online in advance, as the park says this usually gets the best savings.

Lincoln Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral and a working place of worship, consecrated in the 11th century. The building is grade I listed and has Gothic architecture from several periods, including two large rose windows, the Dean's Eye and the Bishop's Eye. The Victorian writer John Ruskin rated it highly among British buildings.

Beyond the main building, the visitor centre has an Exhibition Gallery with the Romanesque Frieze and artefacts from the cathedral's history. The Discovery Centre lets families build an arch, sit on a throne and recreate a stained glass window. Themed tours cover historic graffiti, stained glass and hidden symbols in the carvings. Dean's Green is a landscaped garden with seating and a fountain, and there is a café and shop. It suits history fans, families with children and anyone interested in architecture.

Tip: The cathedral is a living church, so some areas can close for services or events. Check the visit page for current restrictions before you travel.

Woolsthorpe Manor, near Grantham, is the birthplace and family home of Sir Isaac Newton. This Grade I listed house is cared for by the National Trust and presented as a typical seventeenth-century yeoman's farmhouse. Newton returned here in 1666 when Cambridge University closed because of the plague, and performed many of his most famous experiments on light and optics in the house.

Outside, the orchard is home to an apple tree linked with Newton's thinking on gravity, and the walled kitchen garden at the back has been restored. One of the old farmyard buildings now holds an interactive visitor experience about the physical principles Newton investigated. The manor sits on the edge of the village, mostly surrounded by fields.

Belvoir Castle (pronounced BEE-vər) is a grade I listed mock castle on a high hill in the north of Leicestershire, overlooking the Vale of Belvoir. The name means "beautiful view" in Norman French. A castle has stood on the site since the Norman Conquest, and the present building dates from the early 19th century, in the romantic Gothic Revival style by architect James Wyatt.

The castle has been the home of the Manners family for five hundred years and the seat of the Dukes of Rutland for over three centuries. It is still privately owned but open to the public. Its story takes in a Tudor manor, destruction in the Civil War, and a fire in 1816 that damaged paintings by artists including Titian and Rubens. The central tower is reminiscent of Windsor Castle. The ducal mausoleum stands next to the castle.

Burghley House is one of the largest and grandest houses of the 16th century, built for William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I. It is still a family home, and the State Rooms are full of paintings and treasures, including ceiling paintings on the Heaven Room and Hell Staircase and carvings by Grinling Gibbons.

Outside, there is plenty to fill the rest of the day. The Sculpture Garden covers Capability Brown's lost gardens, while the Garden of Surprises is a playful mix of classical ideas, astrology and astronomy. Children can head for Hide & Secrets, with woodland play zones and the Hidden Towers structure, which has two huge slides, climbing walls and wobbly walkways. The wider parkland was laid out by Capability Brown, with a large lake. There are places to eat on site, including the Orangery and Garden Café.

Tip: Book online in advance to save money on the day. Dogs on leads can use the parkland, but not the house, gardens or adventure play.

Newark Air Museum sits on the former RAF Winthorpe airfield, just outside Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire. During the Second World War the airfield trained Avro Lancaster crews, and today it is home to a collection of over 80 aircraft, running through the history of flight.

The displays are spread across the museum site, with larger aircraft shown in the hangars. There is a café on site, plus a shop that bills itself as "The Best Aviation Outlet". The museum runs events through the year, including Cockpitfest, where enthusiasts bring memorabilia and cockpits to look at. It's a natural choice for aviation fans, history lovers and families with children, and the museum offers a Cub and Scout programme, an orienteering activity around the site and school learning sessions built around the Second World War and the principles of flight.

Tip: There is free car parking next to the site, and you don't need to pre-book. In bad weather, check with the museum before you travel.

Lincoln Castle was built by William the Conqueror in the late 11th century on the site of a Roman fortress. It is unusual for having two mottes, and it stayed in use as a prison and court for centuries. It sits in the heart of Lincoln's historic Cathedral Quarter.

Inside, you can explore the Victorian prison, with its extraordinary chapel where each prisoner was seated in an enclosed pew, and hear the convicts' stories. The Medieval Wall Walk goes past towers and dungeons, with views over the castle, cathedral, city and surrounding countryside. At the time of writing it is only partially open during repairs and isn't suitable for wheelchair users. The Magna Carta Vault holds an original 1215 Magna Carta, though each document is off display for about three months a year and a guest document is shown instead. There is a gift shop and a cafe on site.

No dogs are allowed in the grounds, apart from assistance dogs (accreditation may be required). Other pets are not allowed either.

Tip: Call the Customer Service Centre on 01522 782019 before you go to check which parts are open and which Magna Carta documents are on display.