CATEGORY · A HUDDLEPIN LIST
Castles, Historic Houses & Heritage in Derby
In Derby itself you don't have far to go. Derby Cathedral is free to walk round with a tower tour worth booking, and Pickford's House on Friar Gate is a free Georgian townhouse with rooms, toys and a garden shop, open Tuesday to Saturday. For a proper castle climb it's a drive out to Bolsover, where a hilltop castle has a wooden play castle outside and 107 steps up the real one. For free days, the cathedral and Pickford's House cost nothing, and Cromford Mills is free to wander with paid tours if you want the mill's story. Sudbury's Children's Country House suits younger children with its Museum of Childhood and gardens from £11, while Haddon Hall near Bakewell has terraced gardens and archery on some summer Tuesdays, though it's a longer trip out. If wet weather threatens, keep it indoors at the cathedral or Pickford's House.
28 places 5 upcoming events 11 free to visit
What's on: castles, historic houses & heritage
SAT 10 OCT
Haunted Heritage
Cromford Mills
SAT 17 OCT, 11:30 · +14 MORE DATES
Tales from The Workhouse
The Workhouse and Infirmary
SAT 17 OCT, 15:00
October Century Theatre Heritage Tour
Century Theatre
From £4
SAT 7 NOV, 14:00
Tramlight
National Tramway Museum
SUN 15 NOV, 15:00
November Century Theatre Heritage Tour
Century Theatre
From £4
Places for castles, historic houses & heritage
from £3.82Ashby de la Zouch Castle
Ashby de la Zouch
Ruined Hastings Tower, siege tunnel and Ivanhoe-famous courtyards - a climb-and-explore castle day near Ashby.
ToiletsParkingPicnic areaDog friendly+1 more
from £4.50Bakewell Old House Museum
Bakewell
A 500 year old tithe house in Bakewell where kids follow trails through eleven creaky rooms hunting for rats and dolls' houses.
Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingDog friendly+3 more
Bolsover Castle Visitor Centre & Café
Bolsover
A hilltop castle with a wooden play castle outside, a dressing up box, and 107 steps to climb inside the real one.
Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingCafé+11 more
from £6.95Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre
Sutton Cheney
Interactive Battle of Bosworth exhibition, Discovery Zone and free country-park trails near Market Bosworth.
ToiletsAccessible toiletBaby changeParking+7 more
Canalside Heritage Centre
Beeston, Nottinghamshire
A recreated Victorian lock cottage by the River Trent, with lunch in the gardens if the weather's playing along.
CaféFood on sitePicnic area
from £10Chatsworth
Bakewell · ages 3-16
A vast garden of fountains and sculpture to roam, a farmyard for animal handling, and a woodland playground with big slides and water play.
Accessible toiletBooking requiredCaféDog friendly+8 more
FreeCromford Mills
Cromford, Derbyshire
A free mill yard, shops and exhibition, with paid tours telling the story of the world's first water powered cotton mill.
CaféGift shopPicnic area
FreeDerby Cathedral
Derby
Free to walk round, with a tower tour worth booking and monuments that'll keep older kids busy for a bit.
ToiletsCaféGift shop
from £3Framework Knitters Museum
Ruddington · ages 0+
Real Victorian knitting frames still working, a go at a vintage knitting machine, and a free-to-enter café even on closed days.
Birthday partiesCaféGift shopGroup bookings+5 more
FreeGlenfield Tunnel
Leicester
Seasonal guided walks into a historic 1829 railway tunnel near Leicester - free with donation, book via LIHS.
Booking required
FreeGreen's Windmill & Science Centre
Nottingham · ages 0+
Free-entry restored windmill, science centre and garden in Nottingham, climb the mill (when not under repair), try science experiments, and let the kids run round the community garden.
Birthday partiesBooking requiredGift shopGroup bookings+6 more
from £23.60Haddon Hall
Bakewell · ages 0-15
A medieval manor with terraced gardens to explore, kids get in free and there's archery some summer Tuesdays.
ToiletsCaféGift shopParking
from £12.50Jewry Wall Museum
Leicester
Roman bathhouse ruins and interactive museum on St Nicholas Circle - adults from £12.50, kids free through Oct 2026.
ToiletsWheelchair accessibleGift shopBooking required+3 more
from £12.50King Richard III Visitor Centre
Leicester
Museum on the Greyfriars dig site telling Richard III's story - adults from £12.50, under-4s free.
CaféGift shopWheelchair accessibleToilets+1 more
Kirby Muxloe Castle
Kirby Muxloe
Unfinished brick castle with moat and patterned gatehouse - English Heritage tours on select dates near Leicester.
ParkingPicnic areaDog friendlyBooking required
FreeLeicester Cathedral
Leicester
A free-to-enter cathedral with a Richard III history gallery, guided tours and quiet corners worth a wander with kids.
ToiletsCaféGift shop
FreeLeicester Guildhall
Leicester
Free 600-year-old timber Guildhall with medieval galleries and a family quest - open daily near the Cathedral.
ToiletsWheelchair accessibleGift shop
FreeLichfield Cathedral
Lichfield
Wander a genuinely huge medieval cathedral for free, spot the carved Lichfield Angel, and climb the library's spiral steps if legs allow.
Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+4 more
from £14National Tramway Museum
Matlock
Ride vintage trams down a rebuilt period street, then loose the kids in a woodland sculpture trail while you eat into a free return visit.
Free parkingParkingGift shopFood on site+6 more
FreeNewarke Houses Museum
Leicester
Free social-history museum with toys, a 1950s street and gardens - limited Saturday and holiday opening, so check dates.
School visitsGroup bookingsPicnic areaLockers
from £18Newstead Abbey
Ravenshead
A 300-acre estate near Nottingham with a play park, trails and a house walkthrough, kids go free with a paying adult.
Baby changeBooking requiredBottle warmingBreastfeeding friendly+13 more
FreePickford's House
Derby · ages 0+
Free Georgian townhouse museum on Friar Gate - rooms, toys and a garden shop, Tue-Sat 10-5.
Bike parkingFree parkingGift shopParking+2 more
FreeSouthwell Minster
Southwell
Southwell - free-entry minster (£5 suggested donation), dog-friendly grounds and carved stone leaves for kids to spot.
Accessible toiletBirthday partiesBlue badge parkingCafé+10 more
from £6.95Tamworth Castle
Tamworth · ages 2-16
Climb 900 years of chambers and stairs, from Saxons to Victorians, in a proper working castle right by the town centre.
Toilets
from £11The Children's Country House at Sudbury
Sudbury · ages 0+
National Trust kids-first country house near Sudbury - Museum of Childhood, gardens and cafe from £11 child.
Accessible toiletBike parkingBirthday partiesBlue badge parking+12 more
from £7.50The Workhouse and Infirmary
Southwell · ages 0-16
A rare, atmospheric Georgian workhouse and Victorian infirmary near Southwell, kids' trails and costumed characters bring the history alive, with free parking a short walk away.
Birthday partiesBlue badge parkingCaféDog friendly+13 more
FreeWall Roman Site
Lichfield
Free Roman ruins and a small museum on the edge of Lichfield, with a bathhouse footprint you can walk right up to.
Free parkingToilets
from £18Wollaton Hall & Deer Park
Nottingham · ages 0-15
A dinosaur gallery inside a Grade I mansion, plus 500 acres of deer park to walk off the museum legs.
Baby changeBlue badge parkingBottle warmingBreastfeeding friendly+13 more
Good to know: castles, historic houses & heritage in Derby
Are any of them free?
Yes, Cromford Mills, Derby Cathedral, Glenfield Tunnel, Green's Windmill & Science Centre and 7 more are free to visit.
What does a paid visit cost?
Paid entry starts from £3 at Framework Knitters Museum. Prices, ages and facilities are listed on every place page, taken from each venue's own published price list.
Which ones are indoor?
Cromford Mills, Derby Cathedral, Framework Knitters Museum, Glenfield Tunnel and 8 more are indoor, good to keep up your sleeve for a rainy day.
Whereabouts are they?
You'll find castles, historic houses & heritage in Ashby de la Zouch, Bakewell, Bolsover, Sutton Cheney, Beeston and 12 more. Every place we list is in or around Derby, and each listing has the full address and directions.
More ways to plan a day out
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