Clare Ancient House, Clare

The timber-framed frontage on Clare's high street stops you dead. It's a proper medieval hall house, dating back to around 1473, with the kind of crooked beams and leaning walls that make you wonder how the whole thing hasn't keeled over by now. Inside, you're stepping straight into domestic life as it was half a millennium ago - period furnishings, displays that actually feel considered rather than thrown together, and the kind of quirky details that bring the place alive.

This is absolutely worth an hour if you're into Tudor and medieval history, or if you're the sort who gets genuinely interested in how ordinary people lived back then. Kids under twelve might find it a bit text-heavy and dull, to be honest - there's not much hands-on stuff going on. But if you've got curious teenagers or you're the type to stand in front of a glass case reading every single panel, you'll be absorbed.

Clare itself is a handsome little town between Sudbury and the Cambridge border, so it fits nicely into a Suffolk ramble. If you're based at somewhere like Cranfield Retreat or Lake View Lodges - both just five miles away - you could combine this with a proper walk around Clare Castle Country Park next door, which gives you outdoor space and views over the valleys. That's the real winning combination.

Getting there is straightforward from Sudbury, about twenty minutes by car. Do ring ahead about opening times and admission fees - details aren't widely advertised, but the place does operate as a museum open to the public.