Chittering Park

While nosing around Cambridge (20-minute drive), look out for the gorgeous colleges and gardens, the arts and antiquities at Fitzwilliam Museum and the Round Church, which is one of only four round medieval churches in England. Days spent punting on the River Cam are a fine choice, too. When it’s time to move onto the next city, make it Ely (15-minute drive). Its pretty cathedral, Oliver Cromwell’s House and Stained Glass Museum are all worthy of a peek. If you haven’t got your fill of architecture yet, consider a visit to the impressive Anglesey Abbey (15 minutes), which has a whopping 98 acres of landscaped grounds to stroll; or Wimpole Estate (25 minutes), where there’s a mansion, parkland and gardens, as well as farm animals to meet. Speaking of farms, the Farmland Museum at Denny Abbey is just down the road from the site (25-minute walk or a few minutes’ drive). And there’s more by way of museums in Duxford, with a collection of aircraft – including Concorde – at the Imperial War Museum (half an hour). Don’t leave without a visit to Wicken Fen Nature Reserve (10-minute drive) – it is the National Trust's oldest nature reserve, after all, with dog-friendly walks, cycle routes and wildlife to spot.