Doncaster

Doncaster is best known for its racecourse, and the town builds outward from there: a solid hub of a place with easy road and rail links, surrounded by the flatter farmland and old mining villages of South Yorkshire. It's not a place that trades on being pretty, but it has a good spread of things to do and a genuinely wide choice of places to stay, from race weekends to family breaks to countryside escapes just outside town.

For a night near the action, the Hilton Garden Inn Doncaster Racecourse puts you right by the track, while the Best Western Plus Pastures Hotel, the Best Western Premier Doncaster Mount Pleasant Hotel and the Grand St Leger Hotel offer more traditional options around town. Campanile Doncaster and the Doncaster International Hotel are straightforward bases for shorter stays, and the Hex Hotel at Yorkshire Wildlife Park is the obvious pick if you're visiting the park itself, with animals rather than views outside your window.

Out beyond the town, the self-catering options lean rural: Limestone Hill Mill Cottage and Limestone Hill Farmhouse sit together as a pair for larger groups, Estfeld Lodge offers something more secluded, and Hickleton Hall Estate has real grounds around it. Campers and glampers are well catered for too, with sites like Hayfield Lakes, Oak Tree Holiday Park and Fishery, and Hatfield Outdoor Activity Centre and Campsite giving access to water and outdoor activities, alongside smaller certificated sites such as Moss Carr Farm and Elm Tree Farm Glamping for a quieter pitch.

Beyond the races, Doncaster's attractions split fairly evenly between history and family fun. Brodsworth Hall and Gardens and Cusworth Hall and Park are the pick for a slower day out, both set in grounds worth wandering. The South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum is a niche but solid draw for anyone interested in aviation history. For children, Play Valley Doncaster, Play Away and Hunt Fun Doncaster keep things active indoors, while Bawtry Paintball Fields and the town's professional wrestling nights add something with a bit more adrenaline.