Visitor Attractions

Here are lists of nearby attractions, museums, National Trust & English Heritage properties and anything else interesting to visit, with links to their websites for further information.

Mary Arden’s House and Palmer’s Farm – Wilmcote (2.1 miles).

An Elizabethan House and Farm managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust reputedly the home of Shakespeare’s mother Mary Arden

Stratford Armouries Museum – Gospel Oak Lane, Pathlow CV37 0JA  (3.7miles)

A museum of armour and armaments and the home of the Wellington Aviation Museum. It also includes a cafe and Soft Play area for young children

Stratford upon Avon – (6.5 miles south of Aston Cantlow)

Stratford upon Avon has dozens of things to see and do. The link above will take you to the Discover Stratford tourist information site that has everything you could possibly want to know about what is there, things to do and see, where to eat and stay and much more.

National Trust Properties in Warwickshire

  • Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire
    This atmospheric house dates from the 15th century and was the home of the Ferrers family for 500 years. The house and interiors reflect its heyday in the Elizabethan era, when it was a haven for persecuted Catholics – there are three priest’s holes. There is a delightful garden with stewponds and a romantic lake and nature walk.
  • Charlecote Park, Warwickshire
    Charlecote Park has been home to the Lucy family since the 12th century. Their stories are told throughout the house by their portraits, the objects they collected from around the world and the design influence they had on the house and parkland. See how Mary Elizabeth Lucy remodelled the house in Victorian times. The gardens include a formal parterre, woodland walk and the wider parkland (inspired by ‘Capability’ Brown), which offer walks with picturesque views across the River Avon. A herd of fallow deer has been in the park since Tudor times.
  • Coughton Court, Warwickshire
    Home to the Throckmorton family for 600 years, this finest of Tudor houses stands testament to a family’s courage in maintaining their beliefs. From a position of high favour to one of fear and oppression post-Reformation, the Throckmortons were leaders in a dangerous age, helping to bring about Catholic emancipation in the 19th century. Explore this story of fascinating personalities through the ‘family album’ of portraits and Catholic treasures around the house. Coughton is still very much a family home with an intimate feel: the Throckmorton family live here, managing the stunning gardens which they have created. Note: charge for entrance to the walled garden, including members.
  • Kinwarton Dovecote, Warwickshire
    A lovely and rare 14th-century circular dovecote with metre-thick walls, hundreds of nesting holes and original rotating ladder. Note: farm stock may be grazing in field. No toilet.
    Packwood House, Warwickshire
    The house is originally 16th-century, yet its interiors were extensively restored between the world wars by Graham Baron Ash to create a fascinating 20th-century evocation of domestic Tudor architecture. Packwood House contains a fine collection of 16th-century textiles and furniture, and the gardens have renowned herbaceous borders and a famous collection of yews.
  • Upton House and Gardens, Warwickshire
    Join the guests of Lord and Lady Bearsted and experience a weekend house party of a 1930s millionaire. Surrounded by internationally important art and porcelain collections, hear and discover more about family life and soak up the atmosphere of the party. See the red and silver art deco bathroom and get close to art works by El Greco, Stubbs and Bosch. The stunning gardens – being returned to their 1930s heyday – consist of a sweeping lawn, which gives way to a series of terraces and herbaceous borders leading to a kitchen garden, tranquil water garden and spring bulb displays. Note: some areas of the gardens may be closed for ongoing maintenance.

 

English Heritage Kenilworth Castle & Gardens

  • The only English Heritage property in Warwickshire is Kenilworth Castle and Gardens. This vast medieval fortress of Kenilworth Castle is one of the largest historic visitor attractions in the West Midlands and one of the most spectacular castle ruins in England. A brilliant day out for the whole family, Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire is set in vast grounds perfect for exploring.
    The ruins are best known as the home of Robert Dudley, the great love of Queen Elizabeth I. Dudley created an ornate palace here to impress his beloved Queen in 1575. The newly re-created Elizabethan Garden, lost for 400 years, is now open to visitors once more. A paradise for garden lovers, wander through this sumptuous landscape as Queen Elizabeth I would have done herself.