1-Bedroom Cottage with Hot Tub in St Mary's Bay

Howletts is a wild animal park in the parish of Bekesbourne, near Canterbury, set in about 90 acres of ancient parkland. It opened to the public in 1975 and is run by a charity, the Aspinall Foundation, so your ticket goes towards its conservation work.

Tip: Book online in advance: it gives you access to the park's wet weather policy. Check the talk and feeding boards by the gatehouse when you arrive.

Canterbury Cathedral is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Church of England. It stands on the site of one of the oldest Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site, along with St Augustine's Abbey and the ancient Church of St Martin.

Dover Castle crowns the white cliffs above the Channel and has been called the "Key to England" because of its defensive importance through the centuries. It is Grade I listed and has a history stretching back some 2,000 years, with a Roman lighthouse still standing in the grounds.

Tip: Book early online to save money, and check the English Heritage website for which parts of the Secret Wartime Tunnels are open before you go.

Bodiam Castle is a 14th-century moated castle near Robertsbridge in East Sussex. Sir Edward Dalyngrigge built it in 1385 with the permission of Richard II, ostensibly to defend the area against French invasion during the Hundred Years' War. It has no keep. Instead, the chambers were built around the outer walls and inner courts, with towers at the corners and the entrance, topped by battlements.

Tip: You don't need to book in advance, but the car park uses the JustPark app, so download it and set up an account before you arrive. The towers are reached by steep spiral staircases.

The White Cliffs of Dover are one of the best-known stretches of the English coast. Chalk streaked with black flint rises to about 350 feet (110 m), and the cliffs stretch for eight miles (13 km) on both sides of the town of Dover.

Tip: Start at the National Trust Gateway building for the restaurant and information on local history and landscape.

The Wing is the visitor centre at the Battle of Britain Memorial on the White Cliffs at Capel-le-Ferne, between Folkestone and Dover. The building is shaped like a Spitfire wing. Inside, the Scramble Experience uses a film, hands-on activities and interactive displays to bring 1940 and the courage of "the Few" to life. The first-floor Cockpit Café has wide views across the Channel to France.

Tip: Dogs on leads are welcome in the memorial grounds, but only assistance dogs can go inside The Wing.

Lamb House is a red-brick Georgian house in the old town of Rye, built in 1722 and now run by the National Trust as a writer's house museum. Henry James lived here from 1897 to 1914, and E. F. Benson and Rumer Godden also made it their home. Some of James's personal possessions are on display, and you can step inside a favourite writing room.

Tip: There's no onsite parking. Rye station is a short walk, uphill, from the house on West Street.

Camber Castle is an unusually unaltered artillery fort, built by Henry VIII to guard the port of Rye. It sits between Rye and Winchelsea, and its concentric design has a central keep surrounded by round bastions. The coastline has since receded, leaving the fort well inland. J. M. W. Turner once painted it, and it is a Grade I listed building.

Tip: The nearest car park is on Winchelsea Road in Rye, about a mile from the castle, so wear walking shoes.