The 10 Best houses to visit

1. 2 Willow Road, Hampstead

Adult: £6, child: £3, nationaltrust.org.uk

Ernö Goldfinger may be the father of British modernism but here, in the house he built for his family in 1939, things are on a smaller scale.

2. 18 Folgate Street, London

From £7, dennissevershouse.co.uk

This 10-room Georgian terrace was the home of Dennis Sever from 1979 to 1999, who turned it into a museum on the Huguenots.

3. Erdigg, Wrexham

Adult: £9.90, child: £4.95, nationaltrust.org.uk

This 18th-century estate concentrates on downstairs life as much as the gentry, with a unique collection of servants' portraits.

4. A La Ronde, Devon

Adult: £7.20, child: £3.60, nationaltrust.org.uk

Built by two spinsters, this 16-sided house is one of the most extraordinary pieces of architecture in southern England.

5. Hartland Abbey, Devon

Adult: £10.50, child: £4, hartlandabbey.com

The Stucley family's Tudor home boasts fine furniture and porcelain, and the stunning Gilbert Scott-designed Alhambra passage.

6. Cardiff Castle

Adult: £11, child: £8.50, cardiffcastle.com

Take a stroll around the principality's best castle and learn how it went from Roman fort to Gothic castle during its 2,000 years.

7. Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh

Adult: £10.75, child: £6.50, royalcollection.org.uk

Home of the Queen when in Edinburgh, this royal palace's art collection is a must-see.

8. Beatles' Houses, Liverpool

Adult: £20, child: £5, nationaltrust.org.uk

Want to see where John Lennon and Paul McCartney composed "I Saw Her Standing There"? Then head to Liverpool.

9. Mount Stewart, Co. Down

Adult: £6.36, child: £3.18, nationaltrust.org.uk

Immerse yourself in the history of the Lords Londonderry. Admire Stubbs paintings and see chairs from the Congress of Vienna.

10. Knole, Kent

Adult: £10.40, child: £5.20, nationaltrust.org.uk

One of England's largest houses, with a reputed 365 rooms, 52 staircases, seven courtyards and a haul of royal Stuart furniture.