The Lodges at the Baiting House

History is everywhere, but it's particularly thick on the ground here in Herefordshire: the medieval manor at Brockhampton Estate and the ruins and restored gardens of 17th-century Witley Court are 15 minutes' drive away, and it's half an hour to Berrington Hall and its Capability Brown gardens and the high ramparts of Ludlow Castle. For a taste of the more recent past, take a trip on the Severn Valley Railway, whose steam trains puff through the fine surrounds between Kidderminster and Leominster (both half an hour from the site). Ludlow is one of many ancient market towns worth visiting, not least for its reputation as a foodie mecca. For more gastronomic times, take a tour of the vodkas and gins being crafted at Chase Distillery (30 minutes) and sample the wares at Monkland Cheese Dairy, 40 minutes away. If you're into active stuff, it's 20 minutes to quad biking at Peachley and zipwires in the Wyre Forest National Nature Reserve. The latter is fine walking country, and for bigger hikes, you can swiftly head to the Malvern Hills and Shropshire Hills, which start around 20 and 40 minutes from the site. If the scenery's not wild enough, maybe you'll prefer the lions and monkeys at the West Midlands Safari Park, half an hour away, or meeting the owls, miniature horses, donkeys, goats and pigs at the Small Breeds Farm Park and Owl Centre an hour away.