Hillcrest Hideaways

Raby Castle is a Grade I listed medieval castle near Staindrop in County Durham, built by the Nevilles between about 1367 and 1390. It has nine towers, a Neville Gateway with grooves still visible from its portcullises, and a large art collection including works by old masters and portraits. It remains a private family home, and the grounds include 200 acres of deer park.

Tip: Pre-booking tickets online is recommended to get the best price.

The Bowes Museum is an art gallery in Barnard Castle, County Durham, built in the style of a French château and set in landscaped parkland overlooking Teesdale countryside. It was purpose-built to house the collection of John Bowes and his wife Joséphine, and opened in 1892.

Tip: Check the museum's website for the current Silver Swan showing times before you go, as they differ on bank holidays and school holidays.

Lightwater Valley is a family adventure park in North Stainley, near Ripon, set in 175 acres of North Yorkshire countryside. It began in 1969 as a self-pick fruit farm and grew into a theme park, and it was once home to The Ultimate, billed as the longest roller coaster in the world.

Tip: Book tickets online in advance, before midnight the day before your visit, to get the online discount rather than the on-the-day price.

Locomotion is a railway museum in Shildon, County Durham, part of the Science Museum Group. It sits beside the Stockton and Darlington Railway, the world's first public railway, and houses locomotives from the National Collection, including Sans Pareil and the unique APT-E and Deltic units.

Tip: Pets aren't admitted, though working assistance dogs are welcome. Check the website for event days before you go.

The Forbidden Corner is a folly garden in the Tupgill Park Estate at Coverham in Coverdale, inside the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Built in the 1980s as a private pleasure garden, it opened to the public in 1997. The Folly Fellowship voted it the best European folly of the 20th century.

Tip: Check the official website before you go to see how tickets are booked.

Barnard Castle is a ruined medieval castle on the edge of the County Durham town that shares its name. A stone fortress was begun here in the 12th century by the Balliol family, and the mighty round tower still stands over the gorge. Later owners included Richard of Gloucester, who went on to become Richard III.

Tip: Head first for the great chamber window to find Richard's carved white boar and the view of the river.

Hopetown Darlington is a railway-themed visitor attraction spread across 7.5 acres of heritage railway land, on the 1825 route of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. It mixes indoor and outdoor sights, from the Victorian North Road Station Museum to the Carriage Works, where the Stores display a collection of more than 30,000 items from Darlington's railway history.

Tip: Head for the Goods Shed first: it is the main entrance to the site.

Richmond Castle stands on a commanding hill above the River Swale, close to the centre of Richmond. Alan Rufus began building it from 1071, after the Norman Conquest, and it is described as the best-preserved early Norman castle in England. You can wander the towers, halls and chapels around the big grassy courtyard, and relax in the quiet Cockpit Garden.