Sudbury Hall

Sudbury Hall, George Vernon's late 17th-century house, is now presented by the National Trust as The Children's Country House at Sudbury, a home re-thought with children at its heart, where the plasterwork, carvings and the Great Staircase, restored after more than 40 years out of use, are explained across three floors in ways meant to spark curiosity rather than hush it. Beside it sits the Museum of Childhood, with toys through the ages, a Victorian classroom where children can sit a lesson and a real Dalek, while the garden offers a parterre, lakeside views, Bluebell Wood and den building. Dogs on leads are welcome in the grounds, the lower cafe and the second-hand bookshop. Reviewers call it the most child-friendly Trust property they know, with toys children can actually handle, and praise the volunteers and the stableyard ice creams. Tips from visitors: the free car park is a short walk away on a path fine for mobility scooters, and large bags go in the free lockers.