Dragonfly Retreat

Sandringham House is a royal country house on a large estate in the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is owned personally by the monarch rather than the Crown, and the house is Grade II* listed. The landscaped gardens, park and woodlands are on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens, and the site has a history stretching back to Elizabethan times.

Tip: If you're bringing a dog, check the estate's dog-friendly areas on its website before you set off.

Oxburgh Hall is a moated medieval manor house near Swaffham, with Victorian Gothic interiors. It was built in the 1480s for the Bedingfeld family, who still live in private apartments there. You cross the moat to a tall brick gatehouse, then explore the hall, which has a priest hole and needlework hangings worked by Mary, Queen of Scots and Bess of Hardwick.

Tip: Parking is free on site, and the hall is about 250 metres from the main car park along a flat gravel path.

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.

Ely Cathedral stands above the flat Fenland landscape, which is why locals call it "the ship of the Fens". The earliest parts of the present building date to 1083, and it is one of the largest Norman churches built in its day. Its nave is among the longest in Britain, and the central Octagon, with its lantern above, creates a remarkable space inside.

Tip: Book tickets and tours in advance, as tour places are limited, and check opening times first because it is a busy working cathedral.

Castle Rising is a ruined medieval castle in the Norfolk village of the same name, built soon after 1138 by William d'Aubigny II. It was designed as part fortress, part palatial hunting lodge, with a deer park behind it. Queen Isabella lived here after her fall from power in 1330, and entertained her son, Edward III, on several occasions.

Holkham Hall is an 18th-century Neo-Palladian country house, designed by William Kent for Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester. It is Grade I listed and still the ancestral home of the Coke family. Inside, you can see the Marble Hall, made of pink Derbyshire alabaster, and the Saloon with its red velvet walls. Guided cellar and attic tours take you behind the scenes.

Tip: You can book the Hall, Walled Garden and Holkham Stories in advance, and the ropes course too. Check opening times first, as they vary.

Grime's Graves is a large Neolithic flint mining complex in Norfolk, 8 km north east of Brandon. Miners worked here from around 2600 to 2300 BC, digging shafts into the chalk to reach seams of flint, which was much in demand for making polished stone axes. Some of the largest shafts are more than 14 m deep and 12 m wide at the surface.

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.