Athelhampton House & Gardens

The gardens here are what draw you back. Athelhampton House sits just outside Dorchester, and what strikes you first is how the formal lawns roll out in front of this fifteenth-century Tudor mansion like they've been manicured for centuries - because they have. The house itself is impressive enough: all red brick and mullioned windows, the sort of place you can actually imagine people living in rather than just rattling around in.

But it's those gardens that justify the trip. There are proper water features - pyramids of yew clipped within an inch of their lives, ancient fishponds that feel genuinely old, and enough formal garden rooms to keep you wandering for a good couple of hours. The estate runs to about eight acres, so you're not talking a quick half-hour stroll. Bring decent shoes.

The house interior is worth seeing if you're into period rooms and furniture, though be prepared to do it all at a fairly brisk pace - it's not one of those places where you can linger indefinitely. Families with older kids will find it engaging enough, particularly if they've got any interest in how people actually lived in Tudor times. Younger children might lose patience somewhere around the third parlour.

Dorchester is right on the doorstep, which makes this a natural stop between Crossways Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite and Parkdean Resorts Warmwell. Summer weekends get busy, so go midweek if you can. Allow three hours minimum if you want to do both house and gardens properly.