Countryside
Both genteel and wild, there’s nothing quite like the English countryside for rural escapes with its patchwork hills, dramatic dales, ancient woodlands and winding country roads. All well and good, but what is there to do in England’s countryside exactly? Quite a lot, actually. Admire the grand interiors of a stately home before catching a play in the surrounding gardens, travel back in time with visits to ancient stone circles and crumbling castles, or step into a chocolate box of quaint villages and market towns and live like a local, trying farmhouse cheeses, cream teas and real ales along the way.
July events: Holmfirth Art Week
Over 400 artists combine art, music, comedy, theatre and literature for the UK's largest open art exhibition.
Location: Holmfirth, West Yorkshire
Herald the coming of spring with a real old English knees-up
Marsden welcomes the cuckoo back to rural West Yorkshire with traditional English dancing, music and sunshine at the Marsden Cuckoo Festival in April.
Location: Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
May events: Put your best foot forward at WalkFest
Put a spring in your step over the spring bank holiday weekend at the North York Moors National Park’s annual walking festival.
Location: North York Moors, North Yorkshire
Learn the traditional art of Well Dressing
Take part in the tradition of Well Dressing, the Peak District’s colourful summertime spectacle.
Location: Peak District, Derbyshire
December events: Get set for winter at The Alnwick Garden
For a festive day out with a difference, wrap up in your cosiest Christmas jumper and join in the fun at The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland.
Location: The Alnwick Garden, Northumberland