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.
Explore the tranquil gardens at Tatton Park
Spread across the grounds of a historic estate in Cheshire, Tatton Park have been carefully expanded and cultivated since Edwardian times.
Location: Knutsford, Cheshire
Enjoy a picnic, zoo & make pottery at Walton Hall & Gardens
Spend the day enjoying the gardens, testing your golf skills and entertaining the kids at Walton Hall and Gardens.
Location: Warrington, Cheshire
Step into the Industrial Revolution at Quarry Bank
This fascinating industrial heritage site transports visitors back to 18th century Northern England and the life of a thriving cotton mill community.
Location: Styal, Cheshire
Enjoy a boat trip on Canal River Trust's Waterways
Spend your weekend exploring Cheshire’s incredible waterways, at Anderton Boat Lift and the National Waterways Museum.
Location: Anderton, Cheshire
Picture Mr Darcy coming out of the lake
The magnificent house, gardens and deer park at Lyme Park was the filming location for the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice.
Location: Lyme Handley, Cheshire
Explore The Lake District's Secret Valley
Rannerdale lies between the smaller lakes of Buttermere and Loweswater, a true hidden gem in a place brimming with atmosphere and local legend.
Location: Buttermere, Cumbria
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
Discover a medieval house at a Cumbrian gateway
An imposing Cumbrian castle boasting an award-winning rock garden.
Location: Kendal, Cumbria
Hunt for the witches in the woods of Pendle
Embark on the interactive Pendle Sculpture Trail, and find the witches ceramic plaques in an atmospheric woodland setting.
Location: Pendle, Lancashire
Stirring parkland and rural heritage at Tatton Park
Spot deer as you wander around ancient parkland, explore richly furnished rooms and see a real working farm at this stately home in the Cheshire countryside.
Location: Knutsford, Cheshire
Visit the Wizard Merlin's sleeping place in Alderley Edge
Spend the day exploring the magical area in Cheshire’s Alderley Edge where Merlin and King Arthur are reputedly sleeping in enchanted repose.
Location: Alderley Edge, Cheshire
Let the little ones run wild at Lowther's Lost Castle
The Lost Castle at Lowther Castle and Gardens is an enchanted world of twists and turrets will give visitors little and large a place of adventure and play like no other.
Location: Penrith, Cumbria
Go back in time at Lancashire's halls and houses
Wander through Lancashire’s stunning historic houses and imagine the many extraordinary episodes and events that have played out within their walls.
Location: Lancashire wide
Follow the last journey of the ‘Pendle Witches’
The Trail of the Pendle Witches tells a tale of witchcraft and suspicion woven through the moors, valleys, villages and castles of Lancashire county.
Location: Forest of Bowland AONB, Lancashire
Discover the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales
A photographer’s dream, the Yorkshire Dales has many moods – from wild and windswept to quietly tranquil – each dramatically beautiful.
Location: Yorkshire Dales National Park, North Yorkshire
Pick a favourite lake from a tour of ten
Not for nothing is this tour named the ‘Ten Lakes Spectacular’ – it takes you to see some of the Lake District’s show-stopping sights in one day.
Location: Lake District, Cumbria
Walk through Cumbria’s history and gardens
Be dazzled by the beauty of the Lake District’s historic houses and gardens, and gain a sense of the area’s fascinating past and present.
Location: Lake District, Cumbria
Explore Hadrian's Wall by bike, bus and on foot
Start your discovery of Hadrian’s Wall in Cumbria, northwest England, and absorb stunning scenery as you journey east.
Location: Hadrian's Wall
Ride a steam train on the East Lancashire Railway
This beautifully restored heritage railway puffs through stunning countryside, quaint villages and historic towns.
Location: Bury, Greater Manchester
Find out about heretics, halls and hallowed ground
Uncover Lancashire’s turbulent religious history at stately homes, temples, cathedrals and holy buildings.
Location: Lancashire
