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.
Rekindle your romance in the Peak District
Put a spring in your step with a tete-a-tete in a country house hotel, share a walk with heart-stopping views and chill out in a relaxing spa.
Location: Castleton, Derbyshire
See England's finest view from Sutton Bank
Celebrated author and vet James Herriot gave the view from Sutton Bank the ultimate accolade – “England’s finest”. Find out if he was right…
Location: Sutton Bank, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire
Enjoy a weekend break in picturesque Helmsley
For a National Park town known historically for its castle and market, Helmsley these days is more about makeovers, macchiatos and boutique beds.
Location: Helmsley, North Yorkshire
Look for love in the heart of Cropton Forest
Whether it’s the sight of roe deer at dawn or the hoot of an owl at dusk, there’s animal magnetism at work at the Forest Holidays site at Cropton.
Location: Pickering, North Yorkshire
Stay in a quintessentially English village
The rural beauty of idyllic Bradfield – complete with a medieval church, Norman castle and cosy pubs – will take your breath away.
Location: Bradfield, South Yorkshire
Escape to the North York Moors for a cosy romantic retreat
Enjoy an idyllic romantic retreat with candlelit dinners with views of snowy woodland scenes in the North York Moors this winter.
Location: North Yorkshire Coast & North York Moors