Bozedown Boltholes

An imposing 18th-century pile, Basildon Park (10 minutes’ drive) is worth a visit for its Palladian architecture, its elegant interiors with period furniture and its art collection. The surrounding parkland, which bursts into colour during the warmer months, is a popular spot for dog walks. From farmyard animals to small exotic mammals like lemurs and mongoose, you’ll find plenty of beasties at Beale Wildlife Park (10 minutes). There is also a reptile house, where you can get up close and personal with tarantulas, snakes and lizards. And if the kids need to blow off some steam, there’s an adventure playground. Other ways to keep the kids (or the kid in you) entertained include paintballing at Weekend Warriors (10 minutes) and tumbling on the nets at RedKangaroo Trampoline Park Reading (15 minutes), where there are also giant slides and inflatable obstacle courses. Caversham Lakes (25 minutes) has a floating water park and paddleboarding.