Waiting to be explored and appreciated, gems in our green and pleasant land are everywhere, embodying Englishness – from quaint towns that seem frozen in time and seaside resorts brimming with character to grand castles with perfectly groomed gardens and mysterious wonders of the world.
 
All are lovely but, if we had to pick ten, here’s our edit of the most quintessentially English places to visit near our cosy holiday cottages for the perfect break.

1 Polperro, Cornwall

Polperro, Cornwall by Robert Pittman

A real picture-postcard treasure between Fowey and Looe, Polperro is one of the gems of the Cornish coast. Built into a scenic valley leading down to a beautiful bay, this archetypal seaside village is known for its tightly packed tightly packed fishermen’s cottages, charming harbour and famous seafood available at its cafes and pubs. Its coastal location has contributed to a colourful history too – the village was once a pilchard fishing haven and a former smuggling hotspot in the late 18th century when contraband goods were sneaked across the English Channel to Guernsey. Head to the Polperro Heritage Museum to find out more about its interesting history.
Make a break of it: Our cottages in south east Cornwall are perfectly placed for exploring Polperro.

2 Bath

Pulteney Bridge, Bath

With its sweeping crescents of immaculate Georgian architecture, thermal spa waters, cream teas and echoes of Jane Austen, Bath screams utter Englishness from its elegant terraces. One of England’s most beautiful and historic cities, Bath has so many ancient buildings that the entire city has been made a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore the old cobbled alleys, delve into elegant boutiques and indulge your tastebuds in excellent cafés, delis and restaurants. There’s plenty of culture, too, with superb small museums, a theatre and a stream of year-round festivals.
Make a break of it: Stay nearby at our The Bothy, Kingsley Lake View or our Cotswold Lake cottages.

3 Painswick, Cotswolds

Georgian table tombs & yew trees in Painswick churchyard by Hugh Llewelyn

The gently rolling Cotswold Hills encompass dozens and dozens of cute, quintessentially English towns. Picture-perfect Painswick is steeply set above the Severn Valley and surrounded by rolling green countryside, offering dramatic vistas. Often referred to as the ‘Queen of the Cotswolds’, this historic wool town’s charming winding streets are dotted with 13th-17th century buildings. On Bisley Street, houses from the 14th century still show two so-called Donkey Doors. The ancient churchyard of St Mary here, complete with ‘spectacle’ stocks, contains 99 yew trees – there should be 100 but legend has it that the devil kills off any new saplings!
Make a break of it: Just half an hour’s drive from our Cotswold Lake cottages.

4 Stonehenge, Wiltshire

Stonehenge

You can’t claim to have seen England without a stop-off at Salisbury Plain and a tantalising glimpse of our historic past at the 5,000-year-old Stonehenge. This mysterious stone circle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered the most significant prehistoric monument in Europe. As well as the giant, awe-inspiring stones, isolated on the vast Salisbury Plain, visitors can wander around the Neolithic Houses and state-of-the-art visitor centre and exhibition space. Rising vividly out of a setting as beautiful as it is ancient, and surrounded by rolling countryside, this entire area oozes quintessentially English charm.
Make a break of it: Just half an hour’s drive from Stable Cottage.

5 Lacock, Wiltshire

Lacock Abbey by Barry Skeates

Owned by the National Trust, Lacock is an exceptionally pretty village set in rolling Wiltshire countryside. Its unspoilt nature has made it a favourite backdrop for film and TV productions, including Downton Abbey, multiple Harry Potter films, Cranford and Pride and Prejudice. Unique architecture includes the 14th century tithe barn, a medieval church and an inn dating from the 15th century – an important staging post between Marlborough and Bristol. Revel in the hushed atmosphere of the medieval abbey and visit the museum dedicated to its former resident Henry Fox Talbot, who invented the photographic negative.
Make a break of it: Stay at The Bothy, Cotswold Manor House, Stable Cottage or our Cotswold Lake cottages.

6 Castle Combe, Wiltshire

Often called the ‘prettiest village in England’, Castle Combe’s streets are lined with quintessential Cotswold stone cottages decorating the Bybrook river valley in deepest rural Wiltshire. Its quaint beauty has attracted the attention of the silver screen too. Made famous in the 1966 film of Doctor Doolittle, more recently it had a starring role in the 2007 fantasy film Stardust as well as Steven Spielberg’s Oscar nominated War Horse. Formerly an important wool industry hub, Castle Combe’s history is still evident in its riverside cottages and visitors can see one of the country’s oldest, medieval clocks still in use at St Andrew’s Church.
Make a break of it: Stay at The Bothy, Stable Cottage, our Cotswold Lake cottages or Cotswold Manor House.

7 Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Kent

Sissinghurst Castle Garden by Malcolm Manners

A list of quintessentially English places to see wouldn’t be complete without mentioning one of our most famous British gardens – tiny Sissinghurst in Kent. Its creator, the author Vita Sackville-West, declared the 450-acre estate as a ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘crying out for rescue’ when she and husband Sir Harold Nicholson discovered it in the 1930s. They spent many years shaping ten different garden ‘rooms’ by grouping together similar coloured plants. Breaking the mould of formality, flowers spill on to pathways and colour themes are prominent. Set aside a full day to explore its nooks and crannies properly.
Make a break of it: Within easy access of our Kent cottages.

8 Shaftesbury, Dorset

Gold Hill, Shaftesbury by Marilyn Peddle

You’ll probably recognise this picturesque hilltop town from photos of its famous steep cobbled street, Gold Hill. So romantic, so steep, flanked by thatch and brick and quintessentially English, it is little wonder that it was chosen as the backdrop for that famous Hovis advertisement in the 1970s. It also starred in the 1967 film of Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd. There is a Hovis loaf monument at the top and a very good restaurant, The Salt Cellar, with fantastic views over the Blackmore Vale. Shaftesbury is also home to a Saxon Benedictine Abbey, which at one time housed the largest women’s religious community in the country.
Make a break of it: Stay at one of our beautiful Dorset boltholes.

9 Rye, East Sussex

Mermaid Street, Rye by diamond geezer

Rye’s draw is its delightful Georgian and half-timbered Tudor buildings, cobblestone streets, pretty harbour and quirky shops. It’s no wonder that it has provided inspiration for famous writers such as EF Benson and Henry James. Mermaid Street is storybook lovely, with cobbles running steeply downhill and historic houses either side. Watch out too for ghosts walking through walls and rocking the chairs at The Mermaid Inn, once the haunt of highwayman and the notorious smuggling group, the Hawkshead gang. Only a couple of miles from the sea and sitting above the river Rother, it is also awash with great seafood fare.
Make a break of it: Stay in one of gorgeous Kent and Sussex cottages.

10 Leeds Castle, Kent

Leeds Castle, Kent © Leeds Castle

This quintessentially English fairytale castle remains one of grandest architectural structures in the country, thanks to its massive refurbishment in the 1920s and 30s under its last private owner, Lady Baillie. Rising from a tranquil moat, Leeds Castle was the residence of six medieval queens and much of its interior reflects that era. The castle grounds spanning 500 acres are worth the visit alone with a famous yew maze, woodland and formal gardens and miles of walks revealing panoramic castle vistas. A programme of special events make for a different experience every time you visit.
Make a break of it: Stay in one of gorgeous Kent cottages.