Holiday parks in the Heart of England
Article updated every 6 months. Last update: 18th April 2008
Author: Bob Atkinson (Travel Expert) Ask me a question.
Running from the Cotswolds through to the Peak district, this area of England is well known as the Heart of England with beautiful countryside contrasting with busy commercial cities such as Birmingham and Derby.
You will find everything to explore with the exception of a coastline as this is a landlocked area, however you will not miss the beach at all with so much more on offer. The counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire, Warwickshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire border onto Cheshire and South Yorkshire to make up this diverse area with the metropolitan area of the West Midlands in the centre.
The true centre is Meriden in Warwickshire, the official centre of England, just north of the Cotswolds. Around here are places such as Warwick, with its famous castle, Leamington Spa and Kenilworth as well as Stratford-upon-Avon, famous for Shakespeare. The major cities of Birmingham and Coventry offer excellent shopping and sports facilities as well as heritage sites such as Coventry Cathedral and Birmingham's famous jewellery quarter and rejuvenated canals. Fancy a thrill? Then gorge on chocolate at Cadbury's visitor centre in Bournville or take a day at Drayton Manor Theme Park and enjoy the rides.
Staffordshire to the North contains the famous Alton Towers as well as the many potteries such as Wedgewood in the Stoke-on-Trent area. Shropshire is famous for Shrewsbury with its old buildings and countryside around the Wrekin as well as Ironbrige, the birth of the iron industry with Thomas Telford. Worcestershire and Herefordshire are farming country with pretty villages, rolling hills and links to the Mappa Mundi and Elgar.
There is a wealth of country houses and many sites run by the National Trust and English Heritage throughout the area.
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Bob Atkinson
( Travel Expert)
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Hoseasons - Hoseasons offer the widest choice of fun-filled holiday parks and peaceful lodges throughout the Heart of England. Whether it's a week-long holiday or a short break, look no further than Hoseasons for the perfect holiday choice for any season.
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The Cotswolds
This is picture postcard England. With idyllic sleepy villages, soft honey-coloured stone buildings, walls and rolling hills, this is one of the most beautiful and often visited parts of the UK.
The larger towns of Stow-on-the-Wold, Cirencester, Tetbury and Burford are the gateways to the area, which is best explored by car or bicycle. Great for shopping and pottering about you will find lots of speciality shops, farmers markets and local museums. With Stratford to the north, Bristol and Bath to the south and the University city of Oxford to the East, there is so much accessible from this area with a good road network to speed you around.
Bourton-on-the-Water is the centre of the area, with its pretty cottages and River Windrush running straight through the centre of town. It is the quintessential English village with tea rooms, restaurants, gift shops and open areas or gardens. It can get extremely busy at weekends, however out of season and mid-week the village is quieter. The Slaughters, Stow, Northleach and Chipping Camden are well worth the visit and there are many road tours you can take to admire the area and its many manor houses.
There are limited holiday and caravan parks located within the region, although there are a number holiday hotels in the area.
The Peak District
This stunning area of the Peak District has some of the best landscape in the entire United Kingdom and is home to the National Forest.
It is an excellent area for the outdoors with great walking and cycling trails, mountain biking and a wide range of adventure activities from caving, to hang gliding and everything in between. Rock climbing is in abundance as is horseriding and many locations are well established for all abilities and ages.
Culturally there is lots to explore too. The Well Dressing festivals of Derbyshire, ancient stone circles, Roman settlements and museums celebrating links to the industrial revolution as well as the Heights of Abraham cable car and the many historic country houses such as Chatsworth and Lyme Park. You can also visit the famous Blue John caverns linked to the jewellery of the same name or museums linked to the mining industry. Don't forget towns such as Buxton, Matlock, Bath, Bakewell (where you can sample the famous Bakewell Pudding) and Chesterfield with its amazing bendy church spire.
The Peak District is great to visit at any time of the year, beautiful at all times and in all weathers with the landscape changing dramatically with every turn
The Peak district has a limited range of caravan and holiday parks within the region although there are a fair number of holiday hotels. The region can be reached on day trips from areas such as the Blackpool coast as well as Lincolnshire and east Yorkshire coasts.
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