Location Heart of England
Heart of England
The beating heart of England is home to a glittering array of treasures. The Cotswolds are what holiday daydreams are made of, with thatched roofs, gently undulating hills and honey-coloured architecture. It’s perhaps no wonder they’ve been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Green valleys and fertile farmlands characterise Worcestershire and in the county town, Worcester Cathedral rises majestically above the River Severn. Meanwhile its sister county of Herefordshire perches prettily on the Welsh border.
On the other side of the Cotswolds, Oxfordshire dazzles with its revered university and dreaming spires. Further north in Derbyshire, wild moorlands meet verdant valleys and over in Leicestershire, market towns sell Melton Mowbray pork pies, Blue stilton and Red Leicester cheeses and Belvoir cordials, and in Leicester, the final resting place of King Richard III was recently discovered.
Famous For
- The University of Oxford – attended by Oscar Wilde, Stephen Hawking and T.S. Eliot – currently ranked number one in the world
- The Cotswold Way, a picturesque 102-mile walking route
- Blenheim Palace, where Sir Winston Churchill was born
- The Peak District National Park in Derbyshire
- Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of William Shakespeare
- The National Space Centre in Leicestershire
What we think
Gareth, Big House ExperienceIf you’re looking for the quintessential English location, look no further than the very Heart of England. Encompassing some of the country’s most visited areas, such as The Cotswolds, Oxfordshire and the Derbyshire Peak District, as well as hidden gems including Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Leicestershire, the Heart of England conjures up cricket on the village green, stately homes set in country estates and cathedral and university cities, bustling with life.