Sunnycroft (National Trust)

Sunnycroft was originally built in 1880 by J.G.Wackrill, founder of the Shropshire Brewery, and was completed in 1899 by its second owner Mrs Jane Slaney, the wealthy widow of a Wellington spirit merchant. Purchased a few years later by local solicitor John Lander, it remained in the Lander family until his granddaughter Joan bequethed it to the National Trust on her death in 1997.

The Trust would be the first to admit that this is no architectural one-off - thousands of similar suburban villas sprang up on the outskirts of towns and cities across England towards the end of Victoria's reign - but step inside and you'll realise why Sunnycroft is so special. The Landers, clearly not victims of fashion, kept their home remarkably unaltered throughout the 20th century, leaving us today with a unique time capsule of late Victorian provincial prosperity.

Whilst the National Trust have done a lot of work in restoring the house to its best, amazingly almost all the furnishings and objects inside were there when they arrived - from 100 year old wallpaper to the cupboard of wartime medicines. And there is more to see in the grounds. With its impressive glass house, pigsties, kitchen garden and orchard, not to mention its 150 yard tree-lined drive, Sunnycroft stands like a mini-country estate in the suburbs.

Sunnycroft is open between 1pm and 5pm on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, March to October. Tickets for non-National Trust members are £5 (£2.50 children) and admission is by timed ticket and guided tour only. Last admission is one hour before closing. Facilities include car parking, picnicking and a tearoom.