Suffolk Sands

Landguard Fort guards the approach to Harwich Harbour, and it was the site of the last opposed seaborne invasion of England, when the Dutch landed in 1667 and were repulsed by the Royal Marines. The current fort dates from the 18th century and was altered in the 19th, with further batteries added in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was manned through both World Wars.

Tip: Book tickets in advance on the Landguard Fort Trust website, though you can also buy them on arrival.

Colchester Zoo has been open since 1963 and is home to many rare and endangered species, including big cats, primates, birds, invertebrates and fish. The animals are arranged in themed zones, so you move from one habitat to the next as you explore.

Tip: Arrive close to opening, and book e-tickets online at least 24 hours ahead to get the cheaper rate. If you arrive after midday, visit Kingdom of the Wild and Elephant Kingdom first, as they close an hour early.

Christchurch Mansion is a Tudor house in Christchurch Park, close to Ipswich town centre. Built on the site of a medieval priory, it has over 500 years of history. You can wander through period rooms, from the Tudor kitchen and the Georgian saloon to the Victorian wing, and imagine how owners and servants once lived.

Tip: Download the free Bloomberg Connects guide before you go, as the Mansion has no Wi-Fi, and note there is no parking at the museum.

Framlingham Castle is a Norman-era castle in the Suffolk market town of Framlingham, now looked after by English Heritage. Its curtain wall has thirteen towers and no central keep, and you can follow the wall-top walk right round the defences. Panels point out the town, the outer earthworks and the Mere, and the tall Tudor chimneys on the towers each have a different brick design.

Tip: Book advance tickets online to save money on the gate price, and pick up the free audio guide to get more from the wall walk.

Woodbridge Tide Mill is a rare tide mill that still grinds wholemeal flour, with a huge oak water wheel that you can often see turning. A mill has stood on this riverside site since medieval times, and the white-boarded building you visit today is Grade I listed. The mill itself is the exhibit, so you get a close look at the machinery as you go.

Tip: There's no parking at the mill itself, so use one of the pay and display car parks in Woodbridge, or walk from the station. Check the wheel turning times calendar before you go.

Colchester Castle is a Norman castle dating from the second half of the eleventh century. Its keep is mostly intact and is the largest of its kind anywhere in Europe. The Normans built it on the foundations of the Roman Temple of Claudius, the largest Roman temple in Britain, so Roman and medieval history sit together in one building.

Helmingham Hall is a moated manor house in Suffolk, begun by John Tollemache in 1480 and owned by the Tollemache family ever since. The house itself is not open to the public, but you can admire it from the grounds, with its 60-foot-wide moat and two working drawbridges that have been pulled up every night since 1510.

Layer Marney Tower is a Grade I listed early Tudor house in Essex, built in rich red brick with some of the finest Italianate terracotta in the country. Its gatehouse is the tallest Tudor example in Britain, and it was begun by Henry, 1st Lord Marney, who served Henry VIII as Lord Privy Seal.