Kingston Lacy

The first thing that strikes you about Kingston Lacy is just how vast it is. This isn't some modest country house - it's a proper Victorian statement, all red brick and Portland stone, sitting in 250 acres of parkland just outside Wimborne. The National Trust runs it now, and they've done a decent job preserving what was essentially the pet project of William John Bankes, a 19th-century collector with more money than sense and decidedly eccentric taste.

Inside, you're confronted with an almost absurd amount of stuff. Paintings, sculptures, tapestries, Egyptian antiquities - Bankes travelled obsessively and brought back everything that caught his eye. The Egyptian Room alone could occupy you for hours if you're into that sort of thing. The actual living spaces feel less museum-like than you'd expect, which is refreshing. You can almost imagine people actually using these rooms rather than just displaying them.

Walkers will appreciate the grounds more than art enthusiasts will enjoy the house itself, to be honest. The park is cracking for a proper ramble, with woodland paths and views across Dorset farmland. Budget three to four hours minimum if you're doing both house and gardens properly.

Both Dorset Glamping and South Lytchett Manor are close by - under five miles - making Kingston Lacy a solid afternoon stop during a park holiday rather than a destination in itself. It's the sort of place that justifies itself if you're already in the area, but the crowds can be intense on summer weekends. Go midweek if you can.