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Yorkshire Wildlife Park is a zoo and conservation centre on the outskirts of Doncaster, South Yorkshire. You explore on foot, with three walk-through animal reserves and themed lands that recreate habitats from around the world.

Tip: Booking tickets in advance is cheaper than buying on the day, and Planet Putt next to the entrance is a good wet-weather add-on.

Tropical World is a licensed zoo in Roundhay Park, Leeds, made up of climate-controlled glass houses that each recreate a tropical environment. You start in the butterfly house, where butterflies fly freely around a swampy setting with terrapins, koi and Morelet's crocodiles. From there you move into an Aztec-themed aquarium with stingrays, octopus, seahorses, piranhas and poison dart frogs.

Tip: Free parking is close by, a short walk away, and buses 2 and 12 stop right outside. Dogs, including assistance dogs, are not allowed inside.

Pontefract Castle is a dramatic medieval fortress, now a ruin, with plenty of stories to tell. Built by Ilbert de Lacy in the late 11th century, it is thought to be where King Richard II died, and it saw a series of sieges during the English Civil War. Today it is also a much-loved community space, and entry is free.

Tip: Use the free car park behind the castle (sat nav WF8 2JF). It is a 122m walk to the site, cobbled and uneven in places, with a 1 in 13 gradient. Check the castle website for any roadworks affecting access before you go.

Temple Newsam is a Grade I listed Tudor-Jacobean mansion on the east side of Leeds, with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown. Inside, over 40 preserved rooms hold one of the UK's most important collections of decorative arts, plus Leeds' Old Masters paintings.

Tip: Book tickets online, and ask about the joint house and farm ticket if you're visiting both. Use the West Entrance for the house car parks.

Cusworth Hall is an 18th-century Grade I listed country house near Doncaster, built in the Palladian style by George Platt and altered by James Paine. It is a country house museum, with displays on the history of South Yorkshire inside the hall.

Conisbrough Castle in South Yorkshire dates back to the 11th century, and its stone keep was built around 1180 to 1190 by Hamelin Plantagenet, half-brother of Henry II. Standing 28 metres high, the circular keep has six massive buttresses, and its design is unique in England. The castle also gained fame as a setting in Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe.

Tip: Book advance tickets online to save 15%.