BRITISH BREAKS

A lakeside stay

A 10-minute drive from the arcades and amusements of Great Yarmouth, Fritton Lake in Norfolk is an unexpectedly serene stretch of water surrounded by woodland. Hidden amongst the trees, you will find sleek cabins and the Clubhouse, a restaurant and hotel which is great value for money. There is plenty to do here, from tennis and stand-up paddleboarding to Jeep safaris through the woodland and there is an onsite swimming pool too (though good swimmers can make straight for the lake).

A week in Mr Kittles, the Clubhouse’s family suite, costs from £1,732.50, room only (01493 484008; frittonlake. co.uk).

Glamping by the sea

Fforest is famous for its original farm campsite, to which a slice of London decamps during the school holidays to heat up in the sauna and drink by the campfire. Its second camp by the sea is more basic and affordable – though you still get the same geodesic tents and log cabins as well as a sauna and firepit. It is a 15-minute walk to the white sand beach at Penbryn, on the Ceredigion coast, and the cafe alongside it.

A week costs from £1,300 in a dome tent or £1,400 in a cabin, room only (coldatnight.co.uk).

Messing about in boats

Nostalgia is all the rage, so re-live family holidays of yore with a trip on a canal boat. Black Prince has one that is especially good for families – a week-long meander along the Llangollen Canal as it wends its way between Shropshire and North Wales, including a nail-biting crossing of the world’s tallest aqueduct and a crawl through Wales’s longest canal tunnel on route. On shore, there is the atmospheric medieval ruin of Castell Dinas Bran to explore.

A seven-night break costs from £1,699 (diesel is £18 extra per day; 01527 575115; black-prince.com).

A classic bucket-and-spade holiday For an old-fashioned beach break with a kid-centric slant, Newquay’s Esplanade Hotel is a safe bet. Overlooking the great sandy sweep of Fistral Beach (where you can ride the waves with the attached Quicksilver Surf School), its modern take on the seaside theme should please adults, with rope lights and moody photos of waves.

Children, meanwhile, will think they have struck gold: they are given goodie bags on arrival, there is a soft play area in the restaurant and there are hot chocolate stations in the rooms.

From £1,710, room only (01637 873333, esplanadehotelnewquay.co.uk).

Break in the Borders

Facades don’t come much grander than the great white hulk of Peebles Hydro, a four-star hotel lost in the countryside of the Scottish Borders. Inside, however, it couldn’t be less stuffy: this is a place where you can bring your dog as well as your kids (and all get muddy without anyone caring). Bedrooms cater for families of up to six but it’s the activities that make this a firm family favourite – from air-rifle practice and archery to racing around the mini Landrover track (for kids aged 3-12).

From £1,492 B&B (peebleshydro.co.uk).

iBeside the seaside: Fforest has launched a second glamping site at Penbryn on the Ceredigion coast

i Lounge by the pool at Fritton Lake in Norfolk – or head to the lake itself, surrounded by woodland, if you are a confident swimmer

g Fun afloat: hire a boat on the Lalangollen Canal running from Shropshire to North Wales