Built in 1588 for coal mogul Sir Francis Willoughby by avant-garde architect Robert Smythson, Wollaton Hall sits within 200 hectares of grounds roamed by fallow and red deer. Tours lasting 45 minutes lead you through extravagant rooms from the Tudor, Regency and Victorian periods. There’s also a natural-history museum here.
Wollaton Hall is 2.5 miles west of Nottingham city centre; take bus L2, 30 or 'The 2' from Victoria bus station (£4, 15 minutes, every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday, half-hourly Sunday).
The hall starred as Wayne Manor in 2012's Batman film The Dark Knight Rises.