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Harlech Castle was built in a spectacular position atop a sheer rocky crag, the peaks of Snowdonia behind and the Irish Sea (now a little distant) lapping in front.  Thanks to the ‘Way from the Sea’, a path of 108 steps cut into the rock face, besieged defenders could be kept supplied by ship, as indeed they were during the siege of Madog ap Llewelyn in 1294-5.  The castle took seven years to build under the guidance of master mason James of St George, who was also responsible for three of Edward I’s other castles in North Wales - Conwy, Caernarfon and Beaumaris; together, the four are a designated World Heritage Site.

Harlech Castle fell to Owain Glyndŵr, the last native Welsh Prince of Wales, in 1404, becoming his headquarters until 1409, when it was recaptured by the English.  The Lancastrians held the castle during the Wars of the Roses, until surrendering to the Yorkists in 1468; during the English Civil War it was held by Royalists until, in 1647, the garrison surrendered to Parliamentary forces.

Also known as Clayhall Royal Naval Cemetery, this is the final resting place for some 1500 British sailors.  It opened in 1859 and was the official cemetery for the Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar, which once stood nearby.  For some time, the route between the hospital and the cemetery was playfully labelled known as ‘Dead Man’s Lane’ due to the high number of funeral processions from the former to the latter.  There are graves from both world wars here, as well as the graves of the men of the submarine “L55”, sunk by the Soviets in the Baltic in 1919.  In one corner of the cemetery are the graves of 26 Turkish sailors.

Helmsley Archaeology Store holds the extensive archaeological collections and paper based archives from English Heritage guardianship sites from the North of England including the counties of Northumberland, County Durham, Cumbria, Lancashire, Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, Cheshire. The range of collections spans English history from Prehistory to the modern day, from flint, architectural stonework to ceramics and small artefacts.

Tours available - booking essential: 01439 770442

Home to the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, Highclere is a predominantly Victorian mansion set in extensive grounds in Hampshire - though, confusingly, the postal address is for neighbouring Berkshire. The house was redeveloped in Jacobean style by Sir Charles Barry, the architect responsible for the Houses of Parliament, from an earlier Georgian mansion which, itself, replaced a Tudor House. Before that, a medieval palace stood on the site, property of the Bishops of Winchester.  The property has earlier roots, however, and there is an Iron Age fort in the grounds.

The 5th Earl sponsored the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb by Howard Carter in 1922.

Highclere was used as the location for the TV series Jeeves and Wooster and, more recently, played the title role in the highly successful Downton Abbey.

NOTE: Highclere has limited opening - check details before making a special trip.

The Highland Wildlife Park is a zoo situated in the beauty of the Cairngorm National Park. Originally, the park used to only contain species that were native to, or which had once been native to, the Highlands. This scope has widened, presumably in an effort to increase visitor numbers. So as well as wolves, wildcats and arctic foxes, you can now see tigers and red pandas. There is a large drive-through reserve area, plus a woodland walk and events take place throughout the year. Try to get there for feeding time.

Managed by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. Irritating website!