Famous as the birthplace of one William Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon is a beautifully preserved and delightful town. Take a walk around streets of the town centre, and you will discover picturesque half-timbered buildings, rose clad cottages, and all manner of reminders of the days when Shakespeare was just beginning to put pen to paper. The river just adds to the beauty, and the nearby theatre has regular performances of the bard's plays.

The Birthplace Museum is perhaps not so interesting unless you're a real fan, although the house itself gives a good impression of life in those times.

A few miles to the north is Warwick , with its medieval town centre, and one of the largest castles in Britain . It is a tiny town, but very impressive, and with a good number of interesting and unusual building crammed in a small area. Lord Leycester's Hospital was established in the days of Elizabeth I as a home for old soldiers, and is a marvellous example of timber buildings from that period.

The castle itself is now owned by the Madame Tussauds waxworks company, and each area of the huge castle is set up to reflect a different period in its history. There are scenes from St John preparing to head off on the Crusades, a Victorian dinner party, and even a ghostly tale in the haunted tower. The overall effect is first rate, and you have to watch out, as its quite common to add some real actors amongst the dummies to catch you out!