Top Merrill Views

Always on the lookout for a good stroll? There are plenty of green spots to go to in this splendid patch of Leicestershire countryside. The nature trails at Beacon Hill Country Park (15 minutes’ drive) will probably please the kids; play areas and sculptures are scattered around for them to run to and investigate. Calke Abbey (15 minutes) is a particularly grand setting for a stroll, with 600 acres of countryside and gardens to its name. The country house has lots of points of interest, no matter whether you’re into plants, animals or history, including National Nature Reserves, a deer park, a walled garden, a 19th-century church and an old stable yard. Spotting the peacocks and fallow deer at Bradgate Park (35 minutes) can fill yet another adventurous afternoon. If you’d like to see a wider range of animals and critters, Twycross Zoo (20 minutes) is a wise choice; it has all four Great Apes, as well as penguins and elephants. Those who are into their motorsports are also well-based here. Donington Park Circuit (10 minutes) has a busy annual calendar with car and motorcycle events.