Get a taste for Tudor life at Charlecote Park

Darling of barons, knights and queens, Charlecote Park has been admired for over five centuries. In fact, the land it stands on today has been in the famed Lucy family since 1247. Elizabeth I once stayed at the luxuriant manor, while William Shakespeare is alleged to have poached rabbits in the grounds as a young man. Few houses can claim such a history – but few are as worthy as Charlecote.

Much of the house was built during the Tudor period, but most of what visitors can see today is actually Victorian and furnished in true, 19th century opulence by Mary Elizabeth Lucy. And while there’s plenty to keep you indoors, the gardens include a formal parterre and rolling, bucolic woodland.