Glamping on the Hill

It's not the Serengeti, but it's the next best thing… 'It', of course, being Longleat Safari Park (25 minutes' drive), a family favourite whose notoriously cheeky monkeys, graceful big cats and cuddlier critters like armadillos and meerkats will likely be a holiday highlight for all animal fans. Afterwards, you'll also get the chance to admire Longleat House, an Elizabethan edifice with a large collection of artworks. Bath (30 minutes) has similarly genteel vibes, with a pretty weir, canal trips, well-kept parks and landmark Georgian buildings to tick off. The city is also home to Sally Lunn's far-famed buns (or teacakes, if you want to get into that debate…), plus the Roman Baths, an abbey, a golf course and several museums. Into Jane Austen, astronomy, East Asian art or the postal system? You'll have plenty to play with here. Half an hour away to the west are the cathedral city of Wells and Wookey Hole, a limestone cave and underground river system near the scenic slopes of Cheddar Gorge (35 minutes).