Wootton Park

This corner of Warwickshire is Shakespeare land, so you won’t be surprised that there are all sorts of bardy browsings: Stratford-upon-Avon has Shakespeare’s birthplace and Anne Hathaway’s cottage to declaim sonnets in, and the Royal Shakespeare Company is based here (surprise) with regular performances throughout the year.

You can also feel rosy-cheeked and Elizabethan at the farmers’ markets, fairs and festivals abounding in all seasons, flit about the butterfly farm and Stratford Racecourse, or take a punt down the Avon on a sightseeing trip. Ghost river trips are also available, although it can’t be guaranteed you’ll see Hamlet Senior…

Eight miles away from Stratford is the must-see Warwick Castle for jousting competitions, the Dragon Tower and trembling at the interactive gruesomeness of the Castle Dungeon.

The ruins of Elizabeth I’s old stomping ground Kenilworth Castle are further along the Avon, as is the Ragley Hall Estate where you can spot sculptures in the Capability Brown parkland or get lost in the maze – do go back for the kids at some point though…

Other play-ful options from Wootton Park include walking the Cotswolds, England’s biggest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, to take in steam railways, gardens, stately homes and cathedrals as well as villages like Chipping Campden and Broadway.

Also have a look at Henley-on-Arden and its historic buildings including half-timbered houses along High Street, the medieval market cross and the 15th-century Guildhall.