Museum of Canterbury with Rupert Bear Museum

Rupert's creator Mary Tourtell was born in Canterbury and attended the local art college before going on to create the famous little bear for the Daily Express in 1921. The museum houses a collection of Rupert memorabilia, along with original drawings.

Children can discover how Rupert stories were created, join Rupert in time-travel and learn how to draw him. The museum is also home to Bagpuss and other well-loved characters who span the decades.

Brighton Toy and Model Museum

Brighton Toy and Model Museum has over 10,000 exhibits, its collections dating back 100 years. Visitors can see rare model trains, as well as a working layout of the Sussex countryside. Meccano and other construction toys also feature, as well as puppets and toy theatres, tin plate toys, large-scale radio-controlled aeroplanes, an extensive range of die cast toys, beautiful dolls and rare dolls' house furniture.

Roald Dahl Children's Gallery

This is an exciting hands-on museum aimed at young children. Roald Dahl's much-loved characters, such as Willy Wonka, the BFG and Fantastic Mr Fox, create a magical and imaginative environment in which children learn through investigation and discovery.

There are large set pieces to explore, such as the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr Fox's tunnel and the Twits' upside-down room. Quentin Blake's quirky drawings ensure that the spirit of Dahl's writing weaves its magic spell throughout the gallery.

Booking is strongly recommended.

Wallington

This magnificent mansion features an early 20th - century superb collection of dolls, dolls' houses and miniatures. The 16 dolls' houses have their own dedicated room, while the toys in the children's include teddy bears, rocking horses and wooden animals.

The beautifully-furnished interiors feature fine ceramics, paintings and needlework and the central hall was decorated by several pre-Raphaelite artists. The house is set in delightful grounds, with lakes, woodland and a walled garden.

Penrhyn Castle

Inside this enormous fantasy castle is a model railway museum and a dolls' museum displaying a large collection of 19th- and 20th- century dolls. Children will be captivated by the castle's long and fascinating past, with links to the Welsh princes, a pirate and an archbishop. The extensive grounds also have an adventure playground.

Ironbridge Open Air Museum of Steel Sculpture

This unique collection of around 65 steel and iron sculptures is displayed in 10 acres of diverse landscape. Some are almost hidden among woodland, others sit in open rolling grassland or in intimate enclosures.

The museum is thought to be the only one of its kind in the world, and is located near the World Heritage site of Ironbridge.

Broomhill Sculpture Garden

Devon's glorious wooded valleys provide a beautiful backdrop for over 300 contemporary sculptures and installations by 30 international artists.

There are large pieces such as those by Giles Penny and Carol Peace, extensive installations such as Labyrinth by Robert Bradford and smaller sculptures hidden in the woodland. The small lake adds character to the gardens and provides an additional setting for works such as Joanna Mallin-Davies' Brockhall Warrior.

Cass Sculpture Foundation

Set in ancient woodland on the Sussex Downs, with spectacular coastal and rural views, the grounds of the Cass Sculpture Foundation are a haven of peace and tranquillity in which to enjoy the ever-changing display of around 60 sculptures by British artists.

Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden

A display dedicated to the life and work of this eminent 20th- century sculptor who worked with equal skill in a variety of different media including wood, stone, bronze and marble. The studio and sculpture garden house a magnificent collection of her pieces and give a moving insight into Hepworth's life.

Duff House

Duff House is a magnificent early Georgian mansion, designed for the 1st Earl of Fife by William Adam, and acknowledged to be his masterpiece. The 2nd Earl Fife developed the surrounding parkland in a naturalistic style in the manner of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown. There are stunning woodland walks for visitors who prefer to meander, with more strenuous options for those looking for a four-mile hike. Free maps, available in the shop, show places of interest through the woods and provide directions to the Bridge of Alvah, a local beauty spot.

Bramall Hall

Bramall Hall is a beautiful Tudor manor house with spectacular plaster ceilings, a wonderful 16th-century embroidered table carpet, and fine examples of furniture and paintings from different periods. The house is set in 70 acres of beautiful landscaped parkland, which features two lakes, woodland walks, gardens and a children's play area.

Audley End House and Gardens

A fine example of Jacobean architecture, Audley End was furnished by the 3rd Baron Braybrooke, who inherited the property in 1825 and installed his extensive picture collection. The delightful grounds feature a restored 19th-century formal parterre garden, a rose garden, fountains and a walled kitchen garden. The River Cam weaves a leisurely course through the smooth lawns near the house, and families can enjoy a ride through the woodland on a miniature railway.

Chiswick House

A key work of Palladian architecture (c1725-9), Chiswick House was designed for himself by the 3rd Earl of Burlington, who sought to create the kind of house and garden found in the suburbs of ancient Rome. Sumptuous interiors contrast with the white exterior, and the classical gardens complement the interior. The grounds are fascinating - look for the unique statuary in the Italianate gardens and the recently restored water cascade.

Osborne House

Osborne House was a refuge for Queen Victoria and the royal family during the summer months. The interiors are extremely opulent in both architectural design and decoration. In keeping with the house, the terrace gardens were designed in formal Italianate style by architect Thomas Cubitt and Prince Albert himself. Today the gardens still capture the Victorian spirit. The walled garden has been restored and the herbaceous borders include many unusual Victorian bulbs and plants particular to that period. Historic varieties of fruit and vegetables can also be seen.

Shambellie House Museum of Costume

The museum presents a fascinating look at fashion and social etiquette from the 1850s to the 1950s. Wonderful room settings with accessories, furniture and paintings convey a sense of Victorian and Edwardian high-society.

Family members are shown wearing elegant evening dresses and gathering for a summer evening party, while members of the Women's Institute are dressed in pre-war tweeds. One room is filled with fashion accessories such as handbags and shoes, plus fans and parasols, which were once an essential part of attire for the well-dressed woman.

Museum of Costume

The Museum of Costume was the creation of Doris Langley Moore, a designer, collector and historian, who gave her costume collection to the city in 1963. Today the museum houses over 30,000 items of fashionable dress for men, women and children, dating from the late 16th century to the present day. There is also a very fine collection of decorative gloves on loan from the Worshipful Company of Glovers of London, including embroidered leather gauntlet gloves, knitted silk ecclesiastical gloves and lace gloves.

Gawthorpe Hall

Gawthorpe Hall is an Elizabethan house with rich interiors and an important collection of textiles and costume from all over the world. Several rooms display part of an important collection of needlework, lace and costume assembled by the last family member to live here, Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth. She was skilled in the art of embroidery and lace-making, and was eager to impart her knowledge to others through the pieces she collected. These include historical and contemporary textiles and needlework from a variety of global cultures, not intended as museum pieces, but as aids to practical study.

Tullie House Museum

A collection of 7,000 items of clothing, accessories and textiles dating from 1720 to the present day, largely of local origin. There are particularly large holdings of women's day and evening dresses, including a rare court mantua gown, and a collection of wedding dresses.

The men's collection includes waistcoats together with outerwear, hats, shoes, walking sticks and underwear. There are also around 50 christening robes dating from the 18th century and good examples of children's formal wear, together with Girl Guide, Brownie and school uniforms. An important quilt collection consists of 50 wholecloth and patchwork quilts and coverlets.

Macclesfield Silk Museum

The museum tells the story of silk production in Macclesfield. Its costume and textile collection dates from the late 18th to mid-20th century and contains a large selection of women's clothing. There are the beautifully-tailored dresses, bodices and printed handkerchiefs, and some fascinating glimpses of history have been captured in costume, such as wartime underwear made from parachute silk. The menswear collection includes waistcoats, cravats hats and around 400 ties.

Charleston

Charleston was the home and country meeting place for the writers, painters and intellectuals known as the Bloomsbury Group. The artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant moved there in 1916 and immediately began to transform the house with decorations, painting the walls, doors, furniture and ceramics.

The rooms on show form a complete example of the decorative art of the Bloomsbury artists: murals, painted furniture, ceramics, paintings and textiles. Charleston also houses a wonderful collection of works by artists such as Renoir, Picasso and Sickett. Visitors can explore the garden, with its orchard, mosaics, statues and ponds.

Brantwood

Brantwood was the home of John Ruskin from 1872 until 1900. The property is beautifully situated and enjoys the fine lake and mountain views. The seven rooms that Ruskin used during his lifetime are open to the public and filled with his drawings and watercolours, together with original furniture, books and personal items. You can also see Ruskin’s medieval manuscripts, Pre-Raphaelite paintings, Turner watercolours, and his fabulous mineral collection. The surrounding views are breathtaking, and you may explore the estate’s 250 acres of gardens, pastures, ancient woods and high moors.

Gainsborough’s House

The collection at Gainsborough's House includes fine paintings, drawings and etchings from throughout Gainsborough's career. Around twenty-five oil paintings by Gainsborough are on display, including his earliest known portrait, a magnificent landscape of 1782, and a touching miniature of his wife. The charming town-house has a Georgian façade built by the artist's father and it retains features dating back more than 500 years. There is also a tranquil walled garden.

Dimbola Lodge

Dimbola Lodge was the home of pioneering Victorian female photographer, Julia Margaret Cameron. It served as both her home and her studio, and it was here that she photographed the cream of Victorian Society. An audio visual display tells the story of Julia, her photographic processes, the history of photography, and the restoration of Dimbola Lodge Museum. Visitors can experience first hand a mock up of a Victorian studio. They are invited to dress up in Victorian attire and take photographs of themselves, friends and family for free as a souvenir of their visit to Dimbola.