What can I do for Half Term on my own with three children?

[Dannie]

We need to do some major building on the house, so DH suggests I disappear for half term. I have an 8yo DS, a 6yo DD and a 2yo DS, who's quite reasonable and will by then be just days off 3. Center Parcs is expensive that week, as is Disneyland. A week with either grandmother would destroy my will to live. DS1 likes history, so I'm wondering about renting somewhere in an area where I can get a lot of mileage out of our National Trust and English Heritage membership, then possibly seeing if I can get friends or godparents to join us for at least part of the time. Does anyone have any child-friendly, history-rich suggestions, for areas, or accomodation, or anything really? Or would I be better off at Butlins?

I would say mid-Kent dannie. Base yourself somewhere in the Weald and all of the following excellent attractions are fairly close to hand:
Penshurst Place, Hever Castle (not NT or EH but you get a good EH discount at the former)
NT jewels Ightham Mote, Scotney Castle, Knole House and Chartwell, plus Bodiam Castle (ruined but fab); the excellent Enchanted Forest at Groombridge Place (outskirts of Tunbridge Wells); two good steam railways in the Kent & East Sussex - can be caught to Bodiam, and the Bluebell, plus the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch which is more exposed but would be delightful on a sunny autumn day;
not much EH in Kent but on the coast is the fascinating Dover Castle, highly recommended and will fill a day.
I would aim for somewhere near Tunbridge Wells as this makes you central for much of the above with the exception of Dover Castle, and even that is not THAT far.

Thanks Marina, these are good suggestions, but I live in Hastings, so many of them are familiar to the menagerie already. And if I don't go far away, the urge to pop home and monitor the destruction of my kitchen may be too much to resist

what about London.. and really work the museums?

London's an option, especially if I can persuade my friend with a flat in Peckham that he Really Needs to go away that week (otherwise he gets a terrible payback for all the seaside weekends he's cadged off us).

You could spend a whole day in the Transport Museum if it has reopened, similarly with the Science museum (they do workshops for kids) Hamleys, walk past the Palace and that will be enough!

Snort. Talk about teaching a Mner to suck eggs! Oh well! Hope you find somewhere else Dannie. My second recommendation would be the Peak District, with Haddon, Hardwick and Chatsworth, plus Eyam the plague village, Bakewell for tarts, the tramway museum at Crich and cycling on the Tissington Trail if good weather.
Now is that fsr enough away from Hastings

The Peak District is a good suggestion and Staffs/Shrops

Thanks! I'm tempted by London, though it might be a tall order with DS2. Might do a few days in London then head north or west, when Peckham Man's eyes start rolling. The smaller two will get tired as well, so DS1 and I will have to curb our enthusiasm a bit.