£6.25; child 3-15, £3.95; senior, £5.50; family (two plus two), £18 (01539 530153).3. Blue Planet Aquarium, Ellesmere Port, CheshireWith 10 species, has more kinds of shark than anywhere else in UK, all of which can be seen from the 70m Aquatunnel. Blue Planet also has an impressive record of breeding endangered species, such as Southern stingrays, blue poison arrow frogs and dyed poison arrow frogs.Open: daily, 10am. £6.95; child, £5.95; senior, £6.50; family (two plus two), £23.80 (01248 430411).2.

Aquarium of the Lakes, Newby Bridge, CumbriaMore than 30 habitats showing aquatic wildlife of the Lake District. River, lake, seashore and bay species include otters, trout, eels, pike, perch, giant crabs, rays, carp, and diving ducks.Open: daily, 9am. Anglesey Sea Zoo Brynsiencyn, Isle of Anglesey Exhibition of sealife from around the coast of Anglesey features more than 50 species, plus underwater camera, tropical displays and lobster hatchery Open: daily, 10am. To find some unexpected places within your day trip orbit, go to 1. 13 jaunts to the coast, because in Britain you're never very far from the sea. And that means you're never more than an hour or so's drive from: watching the tide go in and out, ice cream-licking, slot-machine squandering, swimming, paddling, rock-pooling, kite-flying, cricket-playing, fossiling, beach-combing, dressing under a towel, sandcastle- building (we favour a garden spade over the tinny jobs sold at beach huts), or sunset-watching.

South Foreland Lighthouse, St Margaret's Bay, DoverVictorian lighthouse was first to display an electrically powered signal Open: daily, 11am £2.40; child, £1.20; family (two plus two), £6 (01304 852463).20. Stanford Hall, Lutterworth, LeicestershireSite of death in 1899 of Percy Pilcher, the first man to fly in England when his Flying Machine, The Hawk, crashed there Full-size replica of The Hawk is on view in the stables Open: Sun and bank holiday Mon only, 1.30pm House and grounds: £5; child age three to 15, £2 Grounds only: £3/£1 (01788 860250).. Rides to see deer, plus Secret Garden with guinea pigs, rabbits, pygmy goats and friends Open: Sun-Fri, 10am. House and garden: £7.45; child, £4.10; family (two plus two), £19.90 Grounds only: £4.90/£3.10/ £14.90 (01626 890243).18.