the best of the english countryside - overview

Thatched-roof houses hewn of honey colored stone. Sheep grazing the undulating hillsides. Rushing rivers and cottage gardens.

Who doesn't feel drawn to the English countryside, where nature's beauty is writ large and entire villages seem caught in time.

Start your explorations in Bath, that eloquent articulation of Georgian elegance. In this, Britain's most stylish city, you'll find ancient Roman ruins, exuberant Gothic churches, and stately, 18th-century townhouses.

Further afield, Stonehenge and Avebury present ancient cultural riddles that remain unsolved. Glastonbury Abbey awakens myths of King Arthur and the Holy Grail. And Longleat House and Stourhead Gardens offer glimpses into a world of wealth and privilege.

In all the world, there's no place quite as charming as the Cotswolds. Spend three days discovering the parish churches, manor houses, and antique shops of these time-warped villages. And enjoy side trips to Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford, or Blenheim, the birthplace of Winston Churchill.

Visit Warwick, the finest medieval castle in Britain, en route to the beautiful Peak District. Here, you can spend the day hiking or biking the lush green hills and valleys of the National Park or exploring Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall, two of England's most impressive private estates.

Then drive to the lovely Lake District, whose beauty has inspired everyone from Wordsworth to Beatrix Potter. A walker's paradise, the lakes – Windermere, Buttermere, Derwentwater, and Ullswater – are a place to relax, unwind, and enjoy nature at her absolute best.

End your trip in York, where 1,500 years of history are proudly on display. Ruled by Romans, Vikings, Saxons, and Normans, York is as fascinating as it is enjoyable. The Minster here is the largest Gothic church north of the Alps, and The Shambles is Britain's best-preserved medieval street.

Derwentwater

Oxford