Lovesome Pod

Lightwater Valley is a family adventure park in North Stainley, near Ripon, set in 175 acres of North Yorkshire countryside. It began in 1969 as a self-pick fruit farm and grew into a theme park, and it was once home to The Ultimate, billed as the longest roller coaster in the world.

Tip: Book tickets online in advance, before midnight the day before your visit, to get the online discount rather than the on-the-day price.

The Forbidden Corner is a folly garden in the Tupgill Park Estate at Coverham in Coverdale, inside the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Built in the 1980s as a private pleasure garden, it opened to the public in 1997. The Folly Fellowship voted it the best European folly of the 20th century.

Tip: Check the official website before you go to see how tickets are booked.

Hopetown Darlington is a railway-themed visitor attraction spread across 7.5 acres of heritage railway land, on the 1825 route of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. It mixes indoor and outdoor sights, from the Victorian North Road Station Museum to the Carriage Works, where the Stores display a collection of more than 30,000 items from Darlington's railway history.

Tip: Head for the Goods Shed first: it is the main entrance to the site.

The World of James Herriot fills the original 1940s home and veterinary surgery of Alf Wight at 23 Kirkgate in Thirsk, known in the books as Skeldale House. You walk through the restored family rooms, the cramped consulting room and the dispensary packed with old remedies, then out to the garden with its memorial statue.

Tip: There's no cafe on site, so plan lunch in Thirsk marketplace, a two-minute walk away.

Raby Castle is a Grade I listed medieval castle near Staindrop in County Durham, built by the Nevilles between about 1367 and 1390. It has nine towers, a Neville Gateway with grooves still visible from its portcullises, and a large art collection including works by old masters and portraits. It remains a private family home, and the grounds include 200 acres of deer park.

Tip: Pre-booking tickets online is recommended to get the best price.

Locomotion is a railway museum in Shildon, County Durham, part of the Science Museum Group. It sits beside the Stockton and Darlington Railway, the world's first public railway, and houses locomotives from the National Collection, including Sans Pareil and the unique APT-E and Deltic units.

Tip: Pets aren't admitted, though working assistance dogs are welcome. Check the website for event days before you go.

Mount Grace Priory is a ruined Carthusian monastery, founded in 1398 and set in woodland within the North York Moors National Park. It was the last monastery founded in Yorkshire, and its ruins are the best preserved and most accessible of the nine Carthusian houses in England. You can explore the priory and get a sense of what life was like for a monk.

Tip: Pick up a pamphlet pointing out the seasonal highlights, and walk through the meadow to the Monks' Pond.

The Bowes Museum is an art gallery in Barnard Castle, County Durham, built in the style of a French château and set in landscaped parkland overlooking Teesdale countryside. It was purpose-built to house the collection of John Bowes and his wife Joséphine, and opened in 1892.

Tip: Check the museum's website for the current Silver Swan showing times before you go, as they differ on bank holidays and school holidays.