At the end of the month the spring bank holiday lines up with the school half term so there is loads more on offer, but don't despair in between you can keep your diary pretty full with activities both close to home and further away. Take a look at our diary to find something of interest to you.

This month is also National Mills Weekend, so don't forget to check out our Windmills section for details on a mill to visit near you. If you haven't already done so, don't forget to check out our Bluebells articles.

Last month we managed to have a three day break to York and see lots of stuff as you can see from the list below. The weather was perfect and we collected hundreds of photos which we hope to share with you over the coming months. So keep coming back to visit us and see what we have been up to.

Great Malvern May Day Donkey Procession, Malvern, Worcestershire

Denver Windmill, Downham Market, Norfolk

Barley Hall, York   A medieval townhouse dating from around 1360, once home to the Priors of Nostell and the Mayor of York.

Bolsover Castle Then & Now, Bolsover, Derbyshire . Stands high on a ridge above the vale, it is a 17th century aristocratic retreat, as well as the main castle building there is also The Riding House said to be the earliest in England to survive complete. It was not actually lived in by its aristocratic owner but used as show off piece to impress friends and acquaintances with plays, horse shows and large parties in state apartment.

Cliffords Tower, York. On a mound in the centre of York next to the Castle Car Park and York Castle Museum. It is an impressive keep and you can walk up on the walls and get some stunning views over York City Centre and York Minster.

Conisbrough Castle, South Yorkshire. Standing on a mound above the town of Conisbrough is an impressive ruin with a 12th century keep at its centre. In the 11th century it was given by William the Conqueror to one of his most trusted followers eventually ending up with descendants of the House of York. It was abandoned in the early 16th century and become a picturesque ruin and tourist destination in the 18th and 19th centuries and it is said to have inspired novelist Sir Walter Scott to write his Ivanhoe novel.

Jorvik Viking Centre, York. Discover the Vikings and their part in the history of York and take a journey through recreated Viking-age streets and 4 exhibition halls with relics and information how the Vikings played their part in York history.

Monk Bretton Priory, South Yorkshire. Substantial ruins of a Cluniac monastery with a well marked ground plan, and almost complete west range and a 15th century Gatehouse.

National Railway Museum, York. This is the UK's national rail collection with a museum of large engines including a Japanese Bullet Train, The Mallard, a warehouse full of over a million railway objects such as signs, fittings, crockery used on past trains and much more.

Roche Abbey, Maltby, Rotherham, Yorkshire . These remains of a Cistercian abbey lie in a valley in the hills east of Rotherham, hemmed in by limestone outcrops. The remains are substantial and in its heyday would have been home to about 100 monks and 100 lay brothers and servants. In 1538 it came under the destruction of Henry VIII and began to be dismantled.

Treasurers House, York. This first house given to the National Trust with a complete collection. It has a history spanning 2,000 years with the remains of a Roman road in its cllar and 13 rooms are open for you to explore at your leisure. It is infact 3 houses which where converted into one and its central galleried hallway is impressive.

York Castle Museum, York. Yorks history brought more up to date, with Kirkgate the Victorian Street full of shops and establishments full of items that you may remember or have heard of. Find out how York and its residents fared during the First World War. Think you know about the Sixties take a look at fashion, design and household items from this era before exploring the original York Castle Prison with holographic characters telling you about life in jail.

York Chocolate Story, York. This hour long guided tour takes you on a journey from the origins of cocoa and its arrival in York through to the chocolate dynasties of York in Terry's and Rowntree's, plus others. You get to taste chocolate in each part of the tour from its liquid form through to the final chocolate product which is produced in front of you in the last element of the tour. If you're into chocolate you will enjoy this.

York Minster, York, Yorkshire A Gothic cathedral and is the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. It is the seat of the Archbishop of York, who is the second-highest office of the Church of England, and cathedral for the Diocese of York.

York Museum and Gardens, York. Within the main museum building find out about York's history through archaeology and an extinct way of life. It stands with 10 acres of botanical gardens on the edge of the River Ouse. Within the gardens, surrounded by the Abbey Walls, there are the remains of St Mary's Abbey a Benedictine monastery, a medieval hospitium, the remains of a Roman Multangular Tower and the York Observatory built in 1832.