MIDSHIRES HOTELS

THE MIDSHIRES – WHY GO?

Britain’s Midshires span the country from the Welsh borders to Nottingham, Lincoln and the east coast. Tucked into the countryside are some of England’s grandest stately homes including Chatsworth, the set of Darcy’s home Pemberley in the film of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. 

Highlights of this varied region include Shakespeare’s birthplace and its historic surrounds. Stratford-upon-Avon charms with its timber-beamed Tudor  cottages, boats sitting pretty along the River Avon and the famous Swan theatre, where the Bard’s great works are staged year-round. You can also visit the childhood home of Shakespeare’s mother, and his wife Anne Hathaway’s thatched cottage.

Medieval Warwick Castle is a stunner, and you can wander through its royal apartments, courtyards and peacock gardens. Jousting tournaments and other events are staged here over the summer months.

Further west lie the Welsh Marches – the rolling border country between England and Wales. Riverside Shrewsbury has ample charms, with its half-timbered Tudor houses, castle and arcaded old market hall, while the estate of Shugborough – ancestral home of the earls of Lichfield – comes alive with staff clad in period garb.

Ironbridge is a legacy of the Industrial Revolution and as England’s best-known National Park, the Peak District makes a superlative setting for hill walks. For Britain’s answer to Disneyland, head to Alton Towers, England’s number one theme park.