Chestnut Tree Barn

Banham Zoo is a 50-acre zoo in Norfolk, run by the Zoological Society of East Anglia, a registered charity. It opened to the public in 1968 and is the largest zoo in the region. Animals include giraffes, snow leopards, Amur tigers, cheetahs, red pandas, meerkats and California sea lions, along with a well-regarded collection of smaller monkeys.

Tip: Check the website's what's on page before you go, as daily talks and seasonal events change, and you can book tickets online in advance.

Norwich Castle was built by William the Conqueror as a royal palace, and later served as a gaol before becoming a museum and art gallery. The medieval Castle Keep has rooms furnished to give an authentic sense of twelfth-century life, along with immersive storytelling.

Tip: Pre-booking tickets online gets you the best price for entry, and a free digital guide is available to help you explore the castle and its collections.

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.

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.

Bressingham is a steam museum and gardens just west of Diss. The museum has several railways running through the grounds, including the Fen Railway and the Waveney Valley Railway, and a locomotive shed where you can get close to the engines.

Tip: Check the train running timetable on the Bressingham website before you go, so you can plan your rides around the day.

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.

Blickling Hall is a Grade I listed Jacobean country house near Aylsham in Norfolk, set in 5,000 acres of parkland in a loop of the River Bure. It was built after 1616 for Sir Henry Hobart on the ruins of a Tudor house once held by the Boleyn family, and it is now cared for by the National Trust.

Tip: Head for the library first if you only have limited time, as it is the house's most celebrated feature.

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.

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.

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.