Countryside
Both genteel and wild, there’s nothing quite like the English countryside for rural escapes with its patchwork hills, dramatic dales, ancient woodlands and winding country roads. All well and good, but what is there to do in England’s countryside exactly? Quite a lot, actually. Admire the grand interiors of a stately home before catching a play in the surrounding gardens, travel back in time with visits to ancient stone circles and crumbling castles, or step into a chocolate box of quaint villages and market towns and live like a local, trying farmhouse cheeses, cream teas and real ales along the way.
Get a True Taste of Derbyshire
Tuck into a delicious experience in Bakewell, home of the world-famous Pudding...
Location: Bakewell, Derbyshire
Pick your own at Parkside Farm
Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries... time to get picking and fill those baskets at Parkside Farm.
Location: Enfield, London
Take the River Ferry to Beeses
Enjoy a delicious Sunday roast at this scenic English riverside tea garden in Bristol.
Location: Bristol
Enjoy fine dining at The Samling
Top grub and sweeping views of Lake Windermere.
Location: Windermere, Cumbria
Forage tasty mushrooms for your dinner at Fungi Foray
Get an insight into the wonderful world of mushrooms, and find out what you can pick, and what you should avoid.
Location: New Forest, Hampshire
Enjoy a romantic escape at Overwater Hall
Book a table and a room at this elegant 18th century country house hotel within the Lake District.
Location: Ireby, Cumbria
Breathtaking views and an incredible menu at Holbeck Ghyll
Plan that perfect foodie break to a gorgeous country house hotel set against a perfect Cumbrian backdrop.
Location: Windermere, Cumbria
Enjoy luxury by the lake at Storrs Hall Hotel
Perched on the edge of the famous Lake Windermere, this Grade-II-listed Georgian mansion is surrounded by 17 acres of neatly trimmed grounds – plus the obligatory folly (in this case a temple).
Location: Windermere, Cumbria
Go wine tasting at Ryedale Vineyards
Sample wines from England’s most northerly vineyard.
Location: York, Yorkshire
Watch cheese making at The Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company
Observe Cheddar’s last remaining cheesemakers as they go about their work and learn the tricks of their trade.
Location: Cheddar, Somerset
Enjoy the outdoors and its culinary delights at Talton Lodge
Surely there’s nowhere other than Talton Lodge where you could combine canoeing, Tug O’ War and sausage-making courses?
Location: Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Make your own cheese in rural Somerset at Hagley Bridge Farm
Learn how to fill your fridge with cheese, yoghurt and butter made by your own fair hand.
Location: Watterow, Somerset
Get an authentic taste of Cotswolds farm life
Ever fancied trying your hand at making your own sausages? Be part of a traditional farming experience at Old Farm, near Moreton in Marsh.
Location: Moreton In Marsh, Gloucestershire
Explore Devon’s countryside on a mushroom foray
Join Riverside Cottage mushroom expert John Wright as you forage in Devon’s woodland fields to identify, gather responsibly and cook some wild fungi.
Location: Axminster, Devon
Tour the 18th century Walled Gardens at the Apley Estate
Take a guided tour of the Walled Gardens on the Apley Estate, sample its produce at The Creamery Café or buy your own from Apley Farm Shop.
Location: Apley, Shropshire
Enjoy a Sunday lunch on the Severn Valley Railway
Setting off from Kidderminster, dine in style on a steam-hauled restaurant car train, along 16 miles of Shropshire’s beautiful Severn Valley.
Location: Kidderminster, Worcestershire
Forage for fungi in Sherwood Pines Forest Park
Plunge the depths of the Sherwood Forest and discover penny bun mushrooms and oyster fungus at their best.
Location: Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire
Bathe in autumn colours close to the Falling Foss waterfall
If ever there was a magical woodland walk, it’s the two-mile circular trail through the trees from May Beck to the charming Falling Foss waterfall, all within Little Beck Wood Nature Reserve.
Location: North York Moors, near Whitby, North Yorkshire
Head to the legendary Lion Inn for a warm welcome
It’s the simple things that matter when you’re out winter walking – like a pint, a traditional Sunday roast, a roaring fire and stunning views.
Location: Blakey Ridge, North Yorkshire
Fill your belly on a gourmet getaway in Leicestershire
Try the famous Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, local Stilton cheese, cream tea, ales, wines and sloe gin as part of a delicious countryside break.
Location: Melton Mowbray and the Vale of Belvoir, Leicestershire
Visit the home of the Bramley Apple in Nottinghamshire
Discover the apple of Nottinghamshire's eye: The Bramley Apple. Visit its home in Southwell for a mouth-watering apple escape this autumn.
Location: Southwell, Nottinghamshire