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.
Peace and quiet at Belgrave Hall and Gardens
Belgrave Hall was built in the early 18th century, in what was then a small village three miles from the town of Leicester.
Location: Leicester, Leicestershire
Explore the ruins of Ashby Castle
Sir Walter Scott’s classic novel of 1819, Ivanhoe featured Ashby Castle as the backdrop to the famous jousting scenes.
Location: Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire
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
Stand where Mary, Queen of Scots was executed
Now only the earthworks and the conical motte remain of Fotheringhay Castle, standing above the peaceful River Nene.
Location: Fotheringhay, Northamptonshire
Wander a tranquil 1920s garden
The 10-acre gardens of Coton Manor sit in peaceful Northamptonshire countryside.
Location: Coton, Northamptonshire
Discover hidden Ice Age art at Creswell Crags
Hidden in a beautiful limestone gorge you'll find some of Britain's only known Ice Age art.
Location: Creswell, Nottinghamshire
Have a medieval sleepover at Warwick Castle
For a family holiday with a difference, grab your sleeping bag and head to Warwick Castle to spend the night within the castle's historic grounds.
Location: Warwick, Warwickshire
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
Full steam ahead on a loco driven by you
Many would love the chance to drive a steam engine, well now's your chance: become a train driver for the day at Telford Steam Railway.
Location: Telford, Shropshire
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
Wine and dine beside the lit-up ruins of Newark Castle
Wine and dine beside the lit-up ruins of Newark Castle on a romantic break in Nottinghamshire.
Location: Newark, Nottinghamshire
Take a tour of the Peak District Mining Museum
Discover the cramped and hazardous world of a Derbyshire lead miner.
Location: Matlock, Derbyshire
Cycle along a disused railway line in Stratford-upon-Avon
Explore the English countryside saddle side whilst cycling the 5-mile long Stratford Greenway.
Location: Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Midland Railway - Butterley
The Railway’s Footplate Experience provides big kids with all the necessary know-how to drive a steam train.
Location: Ripley, Derbyshire
Experience the medieval romance of Haddon Hall
Grab a loved one and visit one of the oldest and most romantic Tudor houses in Britain.
Location: Bakewell, Derbyshire
Tour the decadent rooms and gardens of Renishaw Hall
Wander round immaculate gardens and artistic rooms at this historic family home.
Location: Renishaw, North Derbyshire
Climb Broadway Tower
Have a pre-Raphaelite holiday retreat in the Cotswolds.
Location: Broadway, Worcestershire
Walk, cycle or ride the Longdendale Trail
Cycle, walk or bring a horse...
Location: Glossop, Derbyshire
Follow King Arthur’s trail in Shropshire
King Arthur (the real one!) was born, lived and died in Shropshire. No, really. And his Queen Guinevere was a Shropshire lass too.
Location: Oswestry, Shropshire
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
