Holidays in Hull

Hull sits on the edge of Yorkshire with a lot of country, coast and flat estuary land around it, which makes it an easy base for days out that don't involve much faff. The city gives you a handful of local attractions, and within an easy drive you've got seaside museums, animal parks and some genuinely odd little heritage collections that most people never think to visit. Here's how to put a few good days together.

Start with what's on your doorstep

In Hull itself, the Animal Education centre is a gentle, hands-on sort of place and works well with younger children who'd find a full-scale zoo overwhelming. Sutton and Wawne museum is the other local option worth knowing about — a small community museum covering the history of the villages that Hull gradually grew around. It's the kind of place where the volunteers know far more than the labels say, so it's worth asking questions.

Neither will take all day, and that's the point: pair one with lunch and a drive out, rather than trying to stretch it.

Family days out

If you're travelling with children, the strongest options sit a little outside the city. Yorkshire Wildlife Park is the big-ticket day — plan for most of it, take waterproofs regardless of the forecast, and don't try to bolt anything else on afterwards. Closer to the coast, The Jungle Zoo in Cleethorpes is a smaller, more manageable visit, and Play Factory Louth, also at Cleethorpes, is the reliable fallback when the weather turns and everyone's patience is wearing thin. In summer, the Water Splash Park is a cheap way to burn off an afternoon's worth of energy — bring towels and a change of clothes, because children never use these things by halves.

Rainy days and museums

This part of the world is unusually well supplied with small, specific museums, and a wet day is exactly when they come into their own.

• Harbour Heritage Museum and the Bayle Museum, both in Bridlington, pair naturally — one maritime, one rooted in the town's older fabric.
• Dickens Museum & Scrooges Counting House is the one children tend to remember, especially in the run-up to Christmas.
• The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft is a proper enthusiast's day out, and better than it sounds even if you've no particular interest in transport.
• Goole Museum and Catton Heritage Museum are both quick, low-cost stops that slot into a longer drive.

Heritage with a bit more weight

For something more serious, the Kohima Museum and RAF Ingham - Polish Bomber Squadrons Centre both deal with wartime history properly rather than sentimentally — the Lincolnshire site tells a story about Polish aircrews that many visitors arrive knowing nothing about. Epworth Old Rectory is quieter and more domestic, and The Gainsborough Heritage Centre is a good example of a town telling its own story without dressing it up.

Getting outdoors

Normanby Hall Country Park is the obvious choice when you want space, paths and somewhere the children can run. It combines a house and grounds, so you can shelter indoors if the weather breaks — useful insurance on the east coast, where a bright morning can turn quickly.

How to group them into a sensible day

• Coast day: Bridlington for the Harbour Heritage Museum and the Bayle Museum, with a long walk in between and lunch by the water.
• Family day: Yorkshire Wildlife Park on its own, or The Jungle Zoo in the morning and Play Factory Louth if it rains.
• Curiosity day: The Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft plus Epworth Old Rectory, both in the same broad direction.
• Slow day: Normanby Hall Country Park, nothing else booked.

Where to eat

For a sit-down lunch between stops, The Barge Inn and The County Hotel are dependable pub choices, and Swashbuckle suits an evening meal after a day on the coast. The Food Hut is the one for tea and cake mid-afternoon, and Cooplands is your friend for picnic supplies — pick up sandwiches and something sweet before you set off, particularly if you're heading to Normanby Hall Country Park or the Water Splash Park, where you'll want to stay put once you've settled.

Turning it into a short break

Two or three nights is about right: one coastal day, one animal or outdoor day, and one museum day to absorb whatever the weather throws at you. BritStays doesn't currently list any self-catering properties in Hull itself, so you'll need to look further afield for a base and factor the drive into each day.

Practical points: many of the smaller museums, including Sutton and Wawne museum and The Gainsborough Heritage Centre, open on limited days, so ring or check before you drive out. Book Yorkshire Wildlife Park ahead in school holidays. Keep wellingtons and a spare jumper in the boot year-round.