Step back in time

Imagine living in a time when Mr Darcy was gallivanting around (or indeed Elizabeth Bennet), where your home had four kitchens and ten bedrooms and you were waited on hand and foot. Step back in time and escape into a world of lavish interiors and magnificent paintings in one of England’s stunning stately homes. Visit Blenheim Palace (www.blenheimpalace.com/) in Oxfordshire for breathtaking grandeur or Chatsworth (www.chatsworth.org/) in Derbyshire to relive 18th century England at its finest.

Take a stroll around beautifully manicured lawns and spectacular blooms or get lost in a wonderfully crafted maze like the one at Hampton Court Palace (www.historicroyalpalaces.org/webcode/hampton_home.asp) in Surrey, or Tatton Park (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hbcache/property118.htm) in Cheshire. You could fly through the trees on a giant swing at Groombridge Place Gardens (www.groombridge.co.uk/) in Kent, walk through Northumberland’s beautiful Alnwick Garden (www.alnwickgarden.com/) or visit the organic kitchen garden at Audley End House and Gardens (www.english-heritage.org.uk/server.php?show=ConProperty.1) in Essex. Or why not get lost in the jungle at the award-winning Eden Project (www.edenproject.com/) in Cornwall where you can explore the flora and fauna and feel like you’re a world away from home?

For peace and tranquillity, you could spend some time reflecting in one of England’s beautiful cathedrals. The relaxing tones of the organ and the hushed silence will help you gather your thoughts so you’re ready to take on the world again. From St Paul’s (www.stpauls.co.uk/) in London and Gothic York Minster (www.yorkminster.org/) in York to the World Heritage Site of Durham Cathedral (www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/) you can admire the beauty of stained glass at its finest and experience an overwhelming sense of peace.