Grove Cottage

West Midlands Safari Park, near Bewdley in Worcestershire, combines a drive-through safari with walk-through animal areas and an adventure theme park. The four-mile Safari Drive takes you past lions, giraffes, rhinos, tigers and more, including white lions and cheetahs, with the cheetah reserve billed as the UK's largest drive-by one.

Ludlow Castle is a partly ruined medieval fortress in the Shropshire market town of Ludlow, standing on a high promontory above the River Teme. Probably founded around 1075, it was one of the first stone castles built in England and later became the seat of the Council of Wales and the Marches.

Tip: There is no parking at the castle itself, so plan to park in the town and walk in.

Eastnor Castle is a 19th-century mock castle in Herefordshire, built between 1811 and 1820 to the designs of Robert Smirke, later the main architect of the British Museum. It was made to look like one of the medieval castles guarding the Welsh borders, and it is still a private home, with tours open to the public in certain months of the year.

Tip: The castle is only open for tours in certain months, so check before you set off.

Stokesay is a moated, walled manor house near Craven Arms. Though it looks like a castle, it was really a lightly defended mansion, with work completed by 1291. The stone hall and solar block sit behind two stone towers, and the hall keeps its 13th-century wooden-beamed ceiling. The timber and plaster gatehouse at the entrance dates from the 17th century.

Tip: Book advance tickets online through English Heritage, and finish with a break in the tearoom, which is open to all and welcomes dogs.

Croft Castle is a castellated 17th-century manor house that has been the home of the Croft family for many centuries. Inside, you can look round the castle rooms, while outside there are colourful herbaceous borders, a secret garden and a walled garden with a small working vineyard, historic apple trees and a glasshouse.

Tip: Dogs on leads are welcome in the garden and parkland but not in the house. Satnav users should enter HR6 0BL, as the National Trust recommends.

Worcester Cathedral rises above the River Severn and has been a place of worship for fourteen centuries. The present building was begun in 1084 and is Grade I listed. Inside you will find a Romanesque crypt, a chapter house dating from 1120, medieval misericords and a central tower completed in 1374.

Tip: Join a guided tour if one is running, as visitors rate the library tour highly. Summer holidays can be busier.

Goodrich Castle is a ruined medieval fortress on a rocky sandstone outcrop above the River Wye, near Ross-on-Wye. Begun after the Norman Conquest, it grew into a stone castle with a square keep, big corner towers and a gatehouse with a barbican. William Wordsworth called it the "noblest ruin in Herefordshire".

Tip: Book advance tickets online through English Heritage, and pick up the family game from the ticket office when you arrive.

Gloucester Cathedral is one of Britain's greatest buildings, with a history stretching back to around 679. Inside you can see the giant pillars of the Norman Nave, intricate fan vaulting (a style invented here in the 1300s) and the grand tomb of Edward II.

Tip: Well-behaved dogs are welcome Monday to Saturday, but only assistance dogs are allowed on Sundays, in the Lady Chapel and on guided tours.