Haxey Quays

Once you've exhausted the walking, cycling, fishing, golfing and pub options on the Haxey Quay doorstep and launched a canoe or two from the on-site slipway, there's plenty more to do in the locale. And another pub: the White Hart West Stockwith with its own microbrewery is but a short distance away. Children of all ilks should like meeting the llamas, tortoises, goats and other inhabitants of Shepherds Place Farm two miles from Haxey Quay – sandpit play area and supersized bouncy castle included – and peering at the world's biggest leopard enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park within 13 miles (wallabies and tigers also included). Another good option is the Trolleybus Museum nine miles away, which has the world's biggest collection of preserved trolleybuses, regular events, a trolleybus museum, children's playground and vintage bus tours of the surrounding countryside. Not sure what a trolleybus is? Go round (and round) to find out. The historic town of Epworth, probably best known as the 'home of Methodism' as the birthplace of John Wesley and Charles Wesley is six miles away: their former home, the Grade I-listed Old Rectory, is open to visitors from March to October. Historical sorts might also like a trip to 500 year old Gainsborough Old Hall nine miles away, said by the learned to be one of the best preserved medieval manor houses in England. A drive of a little further (14–16 miles) will land you in Doncaster, where you can slip around or dive into the ice skating and swimming of Doncaster Dome, try your luck at Doncaster Racecourse and spend any remaining readies at the Frenchgate shopping centre – or go the 26 miles to Lincoln to see its fairly fab eleventh century cathedral.