Charltons Hollow Cabin

SEA LIFE Brighton opened in 1872 as Brighton Aquarium and is the world's oldest continually operating aquarium. It was designed by Eugenius Birch, who also designed the West Pier, and it sits on the seafront. Inside, the High Victorian Gothic interior survives, and you can wander through the restored Victorian Arcade.

Tip: Book a timed entry slot online in advance; you can reschedule if your plans change.

Thorpe Park sits between Chertsey and Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, on the site of old flooded gravel pits that give it a watery setting. It opened in 1979 and is run by Merlin Entertainments. Today it's a full day of rides, with a strong line-up of roller coasters.

Tip: Book your tickets online in advance to guarantee entry.

Harbour Park is a children's amusement park on the beach at Littlehampton, next to the working harbour and marina. It has been a family fixture since 1932 and is aimed mainly at primary school children. Outdoor rides run seasonally, and there are also arcades and an indoor soft play area, so it works whatever the weather.

Tip: Rides only open on certain dates and times, so check the opening times calendar on the Harbour Park website before you go.

The Royal Pavilion is a Grade I listed former royal residence in the middle of Brighton, built as a seaside retreat for George, Prince of Wales, who later became George IV. Its Indo-Saracenic exterior, with bulbous domes, chhatri-topped minarets and cusped arches, is the look from Nash's 1815-1822 remodelling, and it has often been compared to the Taj Mahal.

Tip: Next door is the Brighton Dome, the former royal stables, converted to a concert hall, so look at both buildings.

Butlins Bognor Regis is a seaside holiday resort on the West Sussex coast, at the east end of the promenade in Bognor Regis. Billy Butlin opened the camp in 1960, moving in the amusement park and zoo he had already run in the town.

Anne of Cleves House is a timber-framed house in the centre of Lewes, given to Anne of Cleves at the end of her short marriage to Henry VIII, although she never lived there. Inside, you can look around well-preserved rooms including a Tudor kitchen, a light parlour and a bedroom with a four-poster bed.

Tip: There's no on-site parking, so use one of Lewes's public car parks, or take the train: the station is a five-minute walk away.

Charleston, in the village of Firle, was the country home of the artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, and for decades a meeting place for the Bloomsbury Group. The rooms on show are covered in their work, with murals, painted furniture, ceramics, textiles and paintings. The collection also includes pieces by artists such as Renoir and Picasso.

Tip: Check the Charleston website before you set off, as the site closes at times between exhibition seasons.

Arundel Castle is a restored and remodelled medieval castle in West Sussex. Roger de Montgomery began work on it around 1067, and it later survived a siege during the Civil War before being restored by successive Dukes of Norfolk. Inside, the rooms include the Baronial Hall and a suite of state rooms remodelled for a visit by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.