Nottingham Castle

Perched on a sandstone cliff above Nottingham city centre, the castle is less about medieval dungeons and more about what came after. The building you'll actually visit dates from the 17th century - a ducal palace rather than a fortress - and it's now a museum split between social history galleries and art collections. Worth a solid two to three hours if you're properly interested; less if you're just after the Robin Hood angle and Instagram shots from the ramparts.

The views across the city and Sherwood Forest direction are genuinely good, and the underground passages (the famous "Mortimer's Hole") are the most satisfying bit for most visitors. History enthusiasts will engage with the social history exhibits covering Nottingham's industrial past and the 17th-century Civil War period. Kids get restless after the first hour unless they're properly into castles or caves.

It's walkable from the city centre - about fifteen minutes uphill, which is bit steep for what it is. Admission costs a few quid. The nearby campsites - Holme Pierrepont and the Bell Tent Village are closest, both under two miles away - make it convenient for a caravan holiday in the East Midlands. If you're basing yourself at one of the parks east of town, you could do the castle as a half-day trip and spend the afternoon in the Nottingham city museums, which are free and actually excellent.