Overlooking the river Avon on the edge of Shakespeare’s Stratford, Charlecote Park has been part of this corner of rural Warwickshire for centuries. Still the Lucy family home after 900 years, you can explore the vision of the Victorian owners George Hammond Lucy and his wife, the formidable Mary Elizabeth, who extended their home and filled it with treasures from their European travels.

Linger in the rooms open to our visitors in the central portion of the house to discover more about the collection brought together by generations of the family whose tastes, lifestyle and varied fortunes are all reflected here

Today, the kitchen is brought to life in cooking and costume. Across the courtyard you can explore the laundry and brewhouse which once hummed with the activity of a busy working estate. Discover the stables which house the family’s carriage collection, each with its own story to tell.

Stroll through the gardens that Mary Elizabeth loved so dearly, from the formal parterre to the shady woodland garden with rare plants and borders full of colourful herbaceous planting.

Beamish Museum is a world-famous, open-air living museum located in County Durham, England, that preserves and recreates everyday life in North East England during the 19th and 20th centuries. Spanning 350 acres, the award-winning museum rejects traditional glass display cases in favour of an immersive, interactive environment where history is brought to life by costumed characters.

The museum is divided into distinct historical zones, featuring original buildings that were carefully taken down and rebuilt stone-by-stone:

• 1820s Landscape: Features the original Pockerley Old Hall, an early railway system, and a Georgian landscape showing rural life before the industrial boom.

• 1900s Town & Pit Village: Recreates a bustling Edwardian high street (complete with a sweet shop, bakery, and pub) alongside a traditional colliery, miners’ cottages, and a schoolhouse.

• 1940s Farm: Demonstrates what British domestic life and agriculture looked like on the Home Front during World War II, complete with wartime rations.

• 1950s Town & Farm: A newer, expanding area that showcases mid-century modern social history, featuring a cinema, a semi-detached house, and a replica Welfare Hall.

Illuminated by hydro-electricity and powered by hydraulics, this pioneering home was filled with Victorian gadgets for efficient modern living. Man-made lakes, tumbling waterfalls and swathes of rhododendron combine to form the surrounding fantasy mountain landscape imagined and engineered by inventor and arms manufacturer William Armstrong and his wife Margaret.

You can wander amongst the towering trees in the Pinetum, explore the weaving paths and tumbling cascades in the Rock Garden and witness the changing seasons in the Formal Garden. See the whole estate by car on the Carriage Drive where way-marked walks and wildlife are waiting to be discovered. Families can adventure through the labyrinth, build a grand design in the den building area and climb to dizzy heights at the play area too.

A passion for tradition and impressing guests inspired one man to transform a run-down country house and desolate landscape.

At the age of 30, the future Lord Fairhaven began to create his first home. Wanting to inspire and surprise visitors, he created a spectacular garden with planting for all seasons and a cosy house in which to entertain. Life revolved around horse racing and shooting, and guests enjoyed 1930s luxury.

Inside: fine furnishings, books, paintings, silver and rare clocks give a feeling of opulence.

Outside: 46 hectares (114 acres) offer vibrant colour, delicious scents and the simple pleasures of nature.

Imperial War Museum Duxford is a branch of the Imperial War Museum near Duxford in Cambridgeshire. Britain's largest aviation museum, Duxford houses the museum's large exhibits, including nearly 200 aircraft, military vehicles, artillery and minor naval vessels in seven main exhibition buildings. The site also provides storage space for the museum's other collections of material such as film, photographs, documents, books and artefacts. The site accommodates several British Army regimental museums, including those of the Parachute Regiment (named Airborne Assault) and the Royal Anglian Regiment.

Based on the historic Duxford Aerodrome, the site was originally operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the First World War. During the Second World War Duxford played a prominent role during the Battle of Britain and was later used by United States Army Air Forces fighter units in support of the daylight bombing of Germany. Duxford remained an active RAF airfield until 1961. After the Ministry of Defence declared the site surplus to requirements in 1969, the Imperial War Museum received permission to use part of the site for storage. The entirety of the site was transferred to the museum in February 1976.

Chatsworth is home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, and has been passed down through 16 generations of the Cavendish family.

Chatsworth House is renowned for the quality of its art, landscape and hospitality, and it has evolved through the centuries to reflect the tastes, passions and interests of succeeding generations.

Today, Chatsworth contains works of art that span 4,000 years, from ancient Roman and Egyptian sculpture, and masterpieces by Rembrandt, Reynolds and Veronese, to work by outstanding modern artists, including Lucian Freud, Edmund de Waal and David Nash.

There are over 25 rooms to explore, from the magnificent Painted Hall, regal State Rooms, restored Sketch Galleries and beautiful Sculpture Gallery.

Home to the Anson family since 1624, it was once described as ‘a perfect paradise’. Visit this important piece of Staffordshire's heritage for a full day of discoveries.

The stories of Shugborough are entangled with the exploits and interests of two brothers, Thomas and George Anson. Their fortunes and their social position shaped Shugborough; understanding the origins of their power helps us to interpret the ideas and materials which flooded into Britain throughout the 18th century, furnishing homes, forging fashions and changing culture.

You can explore sweeping parkland, ancient woodland and a landscape peppered with monuments. See seasonal blooms in the formal gardens, or produce in the walled garden. Head over to Park Farm to see Dorking chickens, and say hello to the animals, such as Longhorn cows and Southdown sheep that roam around in the fields.

In the Georgian mansion, unearth unusual treasures and experience life 'below stairs' in the servant's quarters, then enter a world of glamour and royalty in the apartments of Patrick Lichfield, 5th Earl and fashion photographer.