Wilton House

The Palladian frontage stops you dead when you first see it - all pale stone and perfect symmetry, the sort of stately home that makes you understand why the English became architects. Wilton House sits just outside Salisbury and has been the seat of the Earls of Pembroke since the 16th century, though what you're looking at is largely 17th-century grandeur, rebuilt after a fire with help from Inigo Jones himself.

Inside, the State Rooms are the main draw - genuinely impressive spaces with proper furniture, paintings, and the kind of craftsmanship you don't often see anymore. The Double Cube Room is the show-off piece, a perfectly proportioned space that was apparently used for film sets because it's architecturally flawless. You'll need a good couple of hours to do it justice, longer if you're into country house interiors or want to poke around the grounds.

It's worth a visit if you're already in the Salisbury area, though admission fees and seasonal opening hours mean you'll want to check ahead before making the trip. History enthusiasts and anyone who enjoys seeing how the seriously wealthy lived will find plenty to absorb. Families with younger children might find it a bit heavy on the staring-at-portraits front.

The caravan parks nearby - Coombe is closest at less than two miles - make it easy to base yourself here and combine it with Stonehenge (about eight miles north), Salisbury Cathedral, or the various walks around the Wiltshire downs. Proper limestone country.