Charlecote Park is a stately residence which evokes the essence of Tudor England. The house has been in the Lucy Family since the mid-13th Century and together with its surrounding parkland, forms quintessential Warwickshire, the former a 19th century reconstruction of the stately Tudor residence, the latter gloriously landscaped by Capability Brown in 1760. Shakespeare visited the park as young man to go deer poaching.

Coughton Court and gardens has been in the possession of the Throckmorton family for six centuries. The family are famous for their involvement in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 and later as leaders in Catholic emancipation in the 19th Century. The gardens are also very popular with horticulturalists.

Ragley Hall is a stately home set in 400 acres of parkland and gardens. Built in 1680, the house has undergone extensive restoration in recent years and is one of the most visited stately homes in the area. In addition to regular concerts and special events, visitors are drawn to the 27 acres of gardens, picnicking in the parklands, and boating on the lake.

Upton House was built in 1695 and today boasts a fine array of British paintings, including works by Reynolds, Raeburn, Gainsborough and Stubbs, alongside a superb Continental collection of works by van de Weyden, Rubens, Bosch, Breughel, Tintoretto and El Greco. The house is set in extensive undulating gardens which are also open to the public.

Hidcote Manor Garden is internationally renowned amongst gardening enthusiasts. It has a reputation as one of the finest English garden styles, although it includes rare trees and shrubs from all over the world.

Sulgrave Manor is the ancestral home in England of George Washington's ancestors. The property was owned by Colonel John Washington, great grandfather of George Washington, who supported the Crown. After the defeat of Charles I, many Royalists emigrated to Virginia. Colonel Washington crossed the Atlantic in 1656.

Broughton Castle was built in 1300 and has been in the Saye family for over 600 years. The moated castle includes a medieval Great Hall, vaulted passages, fine fireplaces, splendid plaster ceilings and panelling, in addition to gardens and parkland. The building and grounds have been the location for a number of films including ‘Shakespeare In Love’ and ‘The Madness of King George’.

Blenheim Palace was built in 1704 for John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. Today the Palace is a World Heritage Site and contains a superb collection of tapestries, paintings, sculptures and fine furniture, which are all set in magnificent State Rooms. There is also 2,100 acres of stunning landscaped parkland and gardens. Sir Winston Churchill was born here in November 1874 and was buried in the churchyard of Bladon, a nearby village, in 1965.

The Heritage Motor Centre boasts the world’s largest collection of over 300 historic British cars housed in a striking contemporary structure. The centre also runs a Land Rover 4x4 off-road experience.

National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is the busiest exhibition centre in Europe hosting over 180 exhibitions a year including Crufts and the British Motor Show. The NEC Arena and National Indoor Arena (NIA) are famous for musical concerts and major British indoor sporting events, respectively.

Stowe Gardens is one of the finest landscaped gardens in Europe, comprising narrow lakes and rivers, and over 30 eighteenth century temples and monuments.

Batsford Arboretum was built in the late 19th century contains over 1500 trees, shrubs and bamboos with species from all over the world set in 55 acres of Cotswold countryside.

There are numerous private gardens nearby, which can be accessed through the National Gardens Scheme. For more gardening links, click here.