Wassand Hall is a stunning Regency House with gardens overlooking Hornsea Mere. The estate has walled gardens, woodland and park walks, and inside is home to a collection of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century paintings, English and European silver, furniture and porcelain. The grounds play host to outdoor events during the summer months and the house and gardens are open to the public on selected days during the summer.

Hornsea has a colourful history, once being a centre for smuggling. Even the local church vault was used by smugglers to stash their goods at one time. Wandering further in land, Hornsea feels like an old country market town, with pretty open spaces and old buildings centred around the parish church. But the town is probably most well-known for Hornsea Pottery. Even though the pottery closed in 2000, the appeal of its wares still lives on. For decades, people flocked to the seaside town specifically to visit Hornsea Pottery; it was a real family day out with its many shops, play areas, a café, garden centre, lake and aviaries set amongst landscaped gardens. Nowadays, the reputation of Hornsea Pottery ensures that its items are still widely collected and their designs are recognised as playing an important part in twentieth-century design, particularly post-war. The story of how a family built up the business is an interesting one and can be discovered now in Hornsea Museum. The site of the pottery still attracts hords of visitors, as it is now home to Hornsea Freeport Outlet Shopping Village.

If shopping is more appealing, Hornsea Freeport is a great place to pick up a bargain. As well as many high street clearance shops, the place has a village atmosphere with other attractions such as an arcade, children's play area, Butterfly World, crazy golf and Hornsea Pottery display. For a different shopping experience, Hornsea seafront is home to the popular Wilbur's market on Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and Bank Holidays.

Hornsea Museum is situated in an eighteenth-century farmhouse and adjacent cottages. It has won awards and been featured on TV, with its fascinating local history displays from the early 1700s onwards, and period rooms of the Victorian era as well as the collections of Hornsea Pottery.

To keep the children entertained over the summer, Honeysuckle Farm on the outskirts of Hornsea is ideal. It is a working farm and petting zoo, with a wide selection of animals and farming exhibits, and has a play area and the chance to buy delicious home made ice-cream.

Not forgetting those who like to get out and stretch those legs, Hornsea is on the Trans Pennine Trail, a 213 mile route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders that links the North and Irish seas, through the Pennines, along rivers and canals and through historic towns and cities.

So this summer, why not visit a seaside town that has something for everyone.

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