Draycote View

Coventry (half an hour’s drive) is famed for its two cathedrals: the one dating from the Middle Ages sits in ruins following bombing raids in World War II; the other was consecrated in the 1960s and features a modern, dramatic stained-glass window. For something completely different, check out The Wave indoor waterpark. You might be able to get last-minute tickets for a play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon (40 minutes); if not, you can still explore all things Bard-y, including the half-timbered cottage where Shakespeare was born and the building that was his school, and where you can now learn to write with a quill. At Silverstone Circuit (45 minutes) you can experience the thrill of this high-speed Formula One racetrack by booking car or bike track days. The kids, meanwhile, can have a go on the Scalextric.