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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Recreate film scenes at Stourhead gardens
See the changing colours on a visit to breath-taking Stourhead, where you can see the beauty of nature through the seasons.
Location: Mere, Wiltshire
Family fun at Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens
The appeal of Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens goes way beyond its remarkable wildlife collection to breeding programmes and exuberant gardens.
Location: Burford, Oxfordshire
Visit the hidden hedged gardens of Hill Close Gardens
See the rare survivals of Victorian gardens, which were used by townsfolk who wanted to an escape from the busy town centre.
Location: Warwick, Warwickshire
Encounter an Elizabethan legacy in Warwickshire
Discover 900 years of English history at Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden, a vast medieval fortress and spectacular castle ruins.
Location: Kenilworth, Warwickshire
Discover the secret garden of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage
Pay a visit to Anne Hathaway’s family home - the place William Shakespeare courted his future wife.
Location: Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Visit the Dorothy Clive garden
The Dorothy Clive Garden was created as a demonstration of love. Discover the intimacy and tranquillity of this special garden.
Location: Market Drayton, Shropshire
Explore the quintessential English garden of Pashley Manor
Pashley Manor is the very essence of an English garden, and is set in a well-wooded park with superb views over the surrounding countryside.
Location: Wadhurst, East Sussex
Frolic in the Follies at Hawkstone Park
Hawkstone Historic Park is a unique place, with an intriguing mix of follies, caves and grottos.
Location: Weston-under-Redcastle, Shropshire
Discover Lowther Castle & Gardens
Of the many treasures waiting to be discovered in the Lake District, Lowther Castle is a particular gem.
Location: Penrith, Cumbria
Explore world-famous gardens at Levens Hall
Discover the Elizabethan house and world-famous gardens, a place of discovery, a place to drink in its rich history, a place that all ages enjoy.
Location: Kendal, Cumbria
Wander a tranquil 1920s garden
The 10-acre gardens of Coton Manor sit in peaceful Northamptonshire countryside.
Location: Coton, Northamptonshire
Explore the picturesque Mottisfont House and Garden
What’s better than a summer’s stroll amid ancient trees and rolling lawns? Enjoy the splendour of one of Hampshire’s greatest country houses –Mottisfont.
Location: Test Valley, Hampshire
Wig wam your way to Clumber Park
Camping in tents is so last year – why not try sleeping in a yurt or wigwam in the beautiful surrounds of Clumber Park?
Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire
Explore Hawkstone Park Follies fantasy land
Spend the day exploring an historic woodland fantasy with cliffs, crags, caves, deep woods and towers built hundreds of years ago.
Location: Weston under Redcastle, Shropshire
Find your inner zen on a detox break in Nottinghamshire
Purify the mind, body and soul with pure Japanese meditation then indulge in an oasis of relaxation at a detox retreat near Newark.
Location: Newark, Nottinghamshire
Immerse yourself in Byron's Nottinghamshire
Discover why notorious romantic poet Lord Byron was 'mad, bad and dangerous to know', with a sumptuous stay at his former home.
Location: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Journey back to the 1920s at Coleton Fishacre
A 1920s Art Deco house and garden in the beautiful Devon countryside.
Location: Kingswear, Devon
Kingston Lacy: an Italian palace in Dorset
Home to a rather fabulous collection that includes pieces by Rubens, Van Duyck, Titian.
Location: Poole, Dorset
Discover a medieval house at a Cumbrian gateway
An imposing Cumbrian castle boasting an award-winning rock garden.
Location: Kendal, Cumbria
Slow things down in Hidcote Manor Gardens
Forget about the outside world for a few hours in this perfect spot of Gloucestershire.
Location: Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
Explore Nymans estate
Commanding great views from atop the rolling hills of Sussex, Nymans stands proud as one of Britain’s top gardens.
Location: Haywards Heath, Sussex
