Cotehele House

The moment you turn off the lane near Tavistock and spot those granite towers rising above the trees, you know you're somewhere proper old. Cotehele House sits on a steep hillside overlooking the Tamar Valley, a sprawling Tudor and medieval manor that feels less like a museum and more like you've wandered into someone's very grand home from about 500 years ago.

Inside, the rooms are crammed with the kind of furniture and tapestries that actually belonged to the families who lived here - not recreations, not exhibits behind velvet ropes, but the real stuff. The kitchen is a revelation: an enormous stone fireplace with all its original equipment still in place. Wander upstairs and you'll find four-poster beds, portraits of stern-looking ancestors, and windows with views across the valley that haven't changed much in centuries.

The grounds are equally worthwhile. There's a working mill by the river, a formal garden with yew hedges that take your breath away, and woodland paths if you fancy stretching your legs. Plan for at least three hours if you're doing both house and gardens properly.

Histor buffs will be in their element here. Families with younger kids might find the interiors a bit stuffy after an hour, though the grounds keep them occupied. It's worth combining with a stay at Sunnyside Eco Glamping or Woodovis Holiday Park - both just three or four miles away - then exploring the wider Tamar Valley on foot. The river walks from here are excellent.