Church Farm

For rainy days or times when you don't want to venture too far afield, head to the local leisure centre (five minutes' drive) for a spot of exercise with the family. Make sure to have a good look around the nearby market town of Corsham (15 minutes) while you're here too – it's home to historic houses, peacocks and lots of old-fashioned Wiltshire pubs. Grand country estates like Bowood House and Gardens (20 minutes), Dyrham Park (20 minutes) and Avebury Manor (30 minutes) should certainly be on your itinerary too, and booking a guided tour of the Prince of Wales' Royal Gardens at Highgrove (25 minutes) can also be arranged if you're up for trying something particularly fancy. If you're starting to get garden fatigue, worry not – bigger towns and cities like Bath (half an hour) and Bristol (35 minutes) are close enough if you need some urban grit to counterbalance Wiltshire's pretty pastoral landscapes. Visit great Victorian engineering feats like Brunel's SS Great Britain and the Clifton Suspension Bridge (35 minutes) or take the kids to the cinema, bowling or to Bristol Zoo Gardens (40 minutes) for family-friendly days out.