National Trust - Cragside

The first thing that strikes you about Cragside is the sheer audacity of it all - a Victorian mansion perched on a crag overlooking the Coquet Valley, built by a coal baron who decided Northumberland needed a proper statement house. Lord Armstrong's pile, finished in 1884, sprawls across the hillside like something out of a Gothic novel, all turrets and stone and dark wood panelling inside.

You're really coming here for two things: the house itself, which is genuinely impressive if you like the Victorian industrial aesthetic, and the estate grounds - 1,000 acres of forest, lakes, and rocky outcrops that make for proper good walking. The interior shows off Armstrong's obsession with engineering innovation; he fitted the house with electric lighting before most of London had heard of it. Kids tend to lag a bit once you're inside - it's heavy on period rooms and not much to actually do - but the grounds hold their attention better, especially if there's water involved.

Allow a good half-day minimum, more if you're the type who reads every placard. The National Trust charges entry, though prices aren't listed here so check before you go. Best visited between late spring and early autumn when you can properly enjoy the parkland without freezing.

It slots perfectly alongside the nearby holiday parks - Riverside Rothbury is practically on the doorstep at 0.8 miles, and Whitton Glebe even closer. Combined with Rothbury's restaurants and outdoor shops, you've got a cracking weekend sorted without leaving the valley.