Elton Hall and Gardens

The approach to Elton Hall is genuinely striking - a proper stately home with cream-coloured stone and neat topiary gardens that announce themselves well before you reach the front gates. This Northamptonshire seat has been in the same family for centuries, and it shows in the kind of lived-in authenticity you don't always get from the grand house circuit.

Inside, the rooms feel less museum-like than many - there's actual furniture, family portraits you suspect they genuinely care about, and a library that's worth the visit alone if you're into old books. The gardens are the real draw though. They're formal in patches, then suddenly wild in others, with mature trees and genuinely pleasant walks that won't knacker you out. It's the sort of place where you can easily spend two or three hours without feeling rushed.

Historically minded visitors will find plenty to chew on - the building itself tells the story of several centuries of English country house life. Children will get bored if you're expecting them to read every placard, but the grounds give them space to run about, which parents appreciate.

Elton's positioned well for combining with the cluster of campsites nearby - Castle Farm Campsite is barely a mile and a half away, and Ferry Meadows or Rockingham Forest Park offer more space if you need it. Near enough to Peterborough for town supplies, far enough out to feel genuinely in the countryside. Check ahead for opening hours and admission fees before you go - it's the sort of place that keeps irregular hours depending on the season.