Historic Houses in Heart of England.

Anne Hathaway's Cottage The most romantic of all the Shakespearean properties, is Anne Hathaway's Cottage, which lies in the beautiful hamlet of Shottery, just outside Stratford-upon-Avon.

Blenheim Palace Blenheim Palace was built for the National Hero John 1st Duke of Marlborough and his Duchess Sarah, given by Queen Anne as a gift in reward for his military services.

Chatsworth Set in the heart of the Peak District National Park, Chatsworth is one of the Treasure Houses of England. Visitors see 26 rooms in the House, the 105 acre Garden with its celebrated waterworks and maze, and the Farmyard and Adventure Playground.

Shakespeare's Birthplace The "Man of the Millennium" William Shakespeare, was born in 1564 in the half-timbered house in Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Arbury Hall Arbury Hall has been the seat of the Newdegate family for over 400 years and is the ancestral home of Vicount and Viscountess Daventry.

Attingham Park Attingham Park was built in 1785 for the 1st Lord Berwick. It has a picture gallery by John Nash, magnificent Regency interiors and collections of silver, Italian furniture and Grand Tour paintings.

Baddesley Clinton Hall Enjoy a day at Baddesley Clinton, the medieval moated manor house with hidden secrets! One the most enchanting properties owned by the National Trust, Baddesley Clinton has seen little change since 1633 when Henry Ferrers 'the Antiquary' died.

Bantock House Museum Restored to its stunning Edwardian glory, Bantock House is hidden deep within Bantock Park. Visitors are invited to explore this delightful home of the Bantock family.

Blakesley Hall Blakesley Hall has been carefully refurbished and restored. It was re-opened to the public on 4th May 2002. The Hall is a timber-framed farmhouse built, in 1590, by Richard Smalbroke a man of local importance.

Boscobel House This beautiful but modest timber framed house sheltered Charles II after defeat at Worcester. In 1651 he evaded capture by sheltering in an oak tree, which soon became known as the 'Royal Oak'.

Boughton House Boughton House is the Northamptonshire home of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry.

Brockhampton Estate At the heart of the Brockhampton estate lies Lower Brockhampton - a medieval moated manor house with a beautiful timber framed gatehouse.

Broughton Castle The home of Lord and Lady Saye and Sele, and owned by the same family for over 600 years.

Canons Ashby House Canons Ashby is a romantic, 16th century Elizabethan manor house which has survived unaltered since 1710. Home of the Dryden family since it was first built, the house sits amongst beautiful gardens

Chastleton House Chastleton House is one of England's finest and most complete Jacobean houses. It is filled with a mixture of rare and everyday objects, furniture and textiles collected since its completion in 1612.

Chavenage This historic Elizabethan house, home of the Lowsley-Williams family, contains much of interest to the discerning visitor. Visitors can see the tapestry rooms and furniture and relics of the Cromwellian period.

Claydon House Claydon is an extraordinary house with remarkable 18th century, rococo and chinoiserie decoration. Features include the unique Chinese room and parquetry Grand Stairs.

Donington le Heath Manor House Step back in time and experience how people really lived in Medieval, Tudor and Stuart Times at Donington le Heath Manor House.

Eastnor Castle In the dramatic setting of the Malvern Hills and surrounded by a beautiful deer park, arboretum and lake, this fairy-tale castle is the home of the Hervey-Bathurst family.

Ford Green Hall Ford Green Hall is a seventeenth century house complete with period garden. It was home to the Ford family for almost two centuries.

Haddon Hall Haddon Hall - the Derbyshire Home of the Duke of Rutland, has belonged to the family since the late 16th century.

Hagley Hall Hagley Hall and Park are among the supreme achievements of eighteenth-century English architecture and landscape gardening.

Hall's Croft Halls Croft was the home of Dr. John Hall and Shakespeare's eldest daughter Susanna, whom he married in 1607.

Harvard House Harvard House was the home of Katherine Rogers, mother of John Harvard, whose bequest made possible the foundation of Harvard University. Harvard House is the home of the Museum of British Pewter.

Harvington Hall The moated island was made about 1260 and parts of the Hall are medieval, but most of it was built by Humphrey Pakington about 1580.

Holdenby House and Gardens Just across the fields from Althorp lies Holdenby, a house whose royal connections go back over 400 years. Built by Sir Christopher Hatton to entertain Elizabeth I, it became the Palace of James I and the prison of his son, Charles I.

Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens Kelmarsh is a 3,363 acre (1361ha) agricultural estate at the heart of which stands the eighteenth century Kelmarsh Hall, surrounded by its pleasure gardens and parkland.

Kelmscott Manor Kelmscott Manor, a grade 1 listed Tudor farmhouse adjacent to the River Thames, was the summer home of William Morris from 1871 until his death in 1896. Morris loved the house as a work of true craftsmanship, totally unspoilt and unaltered.

Lamport Hall Lamport Hall was the home of the Isham family for over four centuries.

Little Malvern Court Little Malvern Court has been the home of the Berington family by descent since the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539.

Mary Arden's House And Countryside Museum The farmhouse at Wilmcote, just three miles outside Stratford-upon-Avon, the home of William Shakespeare's mother, is now a countryside museum; devoted to showing country life from Tudor times to the present day.

Melbourne Hall In its picturesque poolside setting, Melbourne Hall was once the home of Victorian Prime Minister, William Lamb, who as 2nd Viscount Melbourne, gave his name to the famous city in Australia.

Middleton Hall The Hall has an interesting architectural history with its earliest buildings dating from c.1300 and other buildings dating from the sixteenth century and the early nineteenth century.

Moccas Court Built by Anthony Keck in 1775 overlooking the River Wye, decoration including the round room and oval stair by Robert Adam.

Nash's House and New Place At the end of Chapel Street, you will find the beautiful old building from the sixteenth century, known as Nash's House. In the garden, you can see the foundations of New Place - Shakespeare's fine house.

Newstead Abbey Founded as a monastic house in the late twelfth century, Newstead became the Byron family seat in 1540. Newstead's most famous owner, the poet Lord Byron, sold the property in 1818.

Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery The Duke of Newcastle built his new Ducal Palace between 1674-9, it still dominates the Castle Rock to this day. It was restored in 1878 as one of the first provincial museums of fine art.

Owlpen Manor One of the most romantic small manor houses in the West of England. The Tudor manor is the lived-in medieval manor house of the de Olepennes, dating from 1450 to 1616, with minor early 18th century improvements.

Pickford's House Museum Pickford's House, a Grade One listed building, was built in 1770 by architect Joseph Pickford as his family home and work premises.

Ragley Hall Ragley is the Family home of the 9th Marquess and Marchioness of Hertford, seat of the Conway-Seymour family. Designed in 1680 by Robert Hooke.

Rodmarton Manor Rodmarton Manor, near Cirencester in Gloucestershire, was one of the last country houses to be built in the old traditional style when everything was done by hand with local stone, local timber and local craftsmen.

Shipton Hall Shipton Hall was built around 1587 by Richard Lutwyche to replace a much older, black and white, timbered house which was destroyed by fire earlier in the 16th century.

Stanford Hall Stanford, where Shakespeare's Avon flows gently through the Park, has been the home of the Cave family, ancestors of the present owner Lady Braye since 1430.

Stanway House and Fountain Stanway House, an outstandingly beautiful example of a Jacobean manor house is situated near Winchcombe in the glorious Gloucestershire countryside and is now the setting for a 300ft single jet gravity fountain - the tallest fountain in Britain.

Stanway Water Garden One of the finest 18th century water gardens, restored in 1998, Stanway lies beneath the 700 foot high Cotswold escarpment. Its grand formal Canal, with 165 foot high fountain , stands on a great grass terrace overlooking the Jacobean manor house.

Stowe Landscape Gardens One of the first and finest Georgian landscape gardens in Britain, Stowe has over 30 arches and temples mirrored in the waters of lakes or silhouetted against the sky. The garden and park were created by the Temple family during a two hundred year period.

Sudbury Hall The ideal family day out - an intriguing house, an entertaining museum and a restful garden.

Sudeley Castle Gardens & Exhibitions Sitting proudly on the Cotswold escarpment, Sudeley Castle Gardens & Exhibitions not only celebrates its rich history but also explores the new.

Sulgrave Manor Sulgrave Manor is a superb example of a modest manor and garden of the time of Shakespeare, and was home to the ancestors of George Washington.

The Ancient High House Stafford's Ancient High House has been one of the most important buildings of the town for over four hundred years. Its late Elizabethan architecture makes it particularly distinctive among its 20th century neighbours.

Upton House & Gardens Upton House is a late seventeenth century house, built of the mellow local stone, which was remodelled by Walter Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearstead, after his purchase of the property in 1927.

Walcot Hall Walcot Hall dates back to Tudor times, the original Elizabethan facade being gabled. The gardens cover over 30 acres, including one of the finest Arboretums in Britain.

Weston Park Visit Weston Park, set in the spectacular Shropshire countryside, and you will marvel at the beautiful Seventeenth Century House and the splendour of the 1,000 acre Parkland in which it rests.

Wightwick Manor This fascinating house contains one of the finest collections of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement. Visitors can explore this Victorian masterpiece with its Great Parlour and timber-framed exterior.

Witley Court One hundred years ago, Witley Court was one of England's great country houses. Today it is a spectacular ruin following a great fire in 1937.

Woburn Abbey Visitors will experience living history at Woburn Abbey - the Russell family has lived here for almost 450 years and it is still their family home.

Woodchester Mansion Hidden in a secluded Cotswold valley, untouched by time and the modern world, lies Woodchester Mansion, an unfinished masterpiece of Victorian building.