Lavender Cottage

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The National Sea Life Centre is an aquarium in Brindleyplace, Birmingham, beside the canal and opposite Arena Birmingham. The building was designed by Sir Norman Foster, and the centre opened in 1996 as the only inland sea life centre in the UK.

Tip: Book online in advance, as entry is at a chosen timed slot.