Less than an hour from London Bridge, Hever Castle packs Tudor rooms, a double moat and award-winning gardens into an ideal day trip. Spend the morning in Anne Boleyn’s childhood rooms, wander the Italian terraces and finish with playful time in the yew and water mazes.

Spend a late-summer day in Canterbury: catch the high-speed from St Pancras, graze at the Goods Shed market, book a timed tour of the Cathedral, then drift through Mercery Lane and Westgate Gardens before a Westgate Towers view.

Make the most of a long day in Bath: take a mid-morning train from London, lunch in the Pump Room, spend relaxed time in the Roman Baths, stroll from Pulteney Bridge to the Royal Crescent, catch sunset at Alexandra Park and (optionally) cap the day with a rooftop soak.