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.
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Choose between red, white or rosé at Sealwood Cottage
Sample the fruits of this Derbyshire vineyard in the charming countryside of The National Forest, and then go to sleep in a pyramid-roofed bedroom.
Location: Swadlincote, Derbyshire
Enjoy fresh, local produce on The Vale Trail
Have a unique horticultural experience in one of England's most fertile lands. Sample fresh produce from local food and drink producers.
Location: Evesham, Worcestershire
Gastro glamping at the foot of Belvoir Castle
Pronounced ‘beaver’ by locals and literally meaning ‘beautiful view’, the Vale of Belvoir offers the perfect place to hideaway.
Location: Near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
Taste ice cream straight from the farm
Savour the delights of ice cream straight from the farm, in the pretty rural Nottinghamshire countryside.
Location: Southwell, Nottinghamshire
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
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
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
Raise your glass for a real taste of the Cotswolds
Come, see, taste and buy outstanding natural spirits at the Cotswolds Distillery and stay at a renowned inn nearby for more foodie delights.
Location: Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire
October events: Sample local delights at the East Midlands Food Festival
The East Midlands Food Festival in Melton Mowbray is one of the largest regional food festivals in the country. Running for over 15 years, lots of loyal and new visitors can enjoy edible delights from some of the country’s finest producers, many from the East Midlands.
Location: Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
October events: Taste the best of the Peak District this autumn
Eat, drink and be merry as you make your way around the stalls at the Great Peak District Fair and Buxton Beer Festival.
Location: Buxton, Derbyshire
Fill your belly on a gourmet break in Bakewell
Enjoy a delicious culinary experience in Bakewell, home of the world-famous Pudding, and hone your hands-on skills on a specialist cookery course.
Location: Bakewell, Derbyshire
Sleep in a Yurt in the middle of the Peak District
Wake up in a yurt in the middle of the beautiful Peak District countryside on a relaxing rural escape.
Location: Cauldon, Staffordshire
