Great Noven Farm

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.

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.

Monk's House is a 17th-century weatherboarded cottage in the village of Rodmell, near Lewes. It was the country retreat of Virginia and Leonard Woolf, who bought it in 1919 and welcomed Bloomsbury Group friends here. Inside, you can wander through rooms full of Bloomsbury Group treasures, including works by Vanessa Bell, with guides in each room.

Tip: Pre-booking is essential for everyone, so book your slot before you travel. Don't rely on the postcode for sat nav, as it can send you down the A26 to an impassable level crossing; follow the directions via Kingston or Newhaven instead.

Lewes Castle is a Norman castle built after the Battle of Hastings by supporters of William the Conqueror. Unusually, it has two mottes, a layout shared in England only with Lincoln Castle. Climb the steps to the top of the Keep for panoramic views across Sussex, learning about the fortress and its part in the town's story as you go.

Tip: Access is limited and the keep has many steps, so it isn't suitable for wheelchair users or anyone with limited mobility. Booking ahead is advised on event days.

Farleys House & Gallery was the Sussex home of the photographer Lee Miller and the surrealist artist Roland Penrose, who moved there in 1949 and lived there for 35 years. Over that time they built up a collection of contemporary art, including works by their friends Pablo Picasso, Man Ray, Max Ernst and Joan Miró.

Tip: Book your timed house tour slot online in advance; the tour isn't suitable for children under 12, and tickets can't be moved or refunded.

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.