“Castle hop” for a day

How many castles and mighty battlements is it possible to pack in to 24 hours? If you start your journey at Aydon Castle, one of England's finest examples of the medieval manor house, then make your next stop at Warkworth Castle and on to Alnwick Castle—which you may recognize from Harry Potter, you'll have plenty of time to look out the window and out to sea as you approach 900-year-old Bamburgh Castle. You could complete your castle hopping activity here or choose to work up a sweat on an archaeological dig and make a little history of your own.

“Paint the Garden” or take a Bat Walk

While traveling north to the Lake District, make a stop at Sizergh Castle, Cumbria. The danger of this medieval castle overlooking the Lake District Fells is that it will tempt you to stay just a little bit longer and might even throw you off schedule. You can stay a few hours or even a day but make sure you take a “Paint the Garden” watercolor class here. If painting is not what you take to, a “bat walk,” on which you get to meet some of Sizergh's nocturnal might tickle your fancy.