Warwickshire packs a surprising amount into a small county. Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon, two of England's best-preserved castles, a Regency spa town, and rolling countryside all sit within a short drive of each other. It's an easy area to build a weekend around without much planning, and close enough to the Cotswolds edge that you can lean into quiet countryside or lively market towns depending on what the week's called for.
Things to do
- Stratford-upon-Avon: Shakespeare's birthplace, with his family homes open to visit, a riverside walk along the Avon, and regular performances at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre if you fancy an evening out.
- Warwick Castle: a genuinely impressive medieval castle above the River Avon, easily worth a full day if you want to make the most of it.
- Kenilworth Castle: a striking ruin with 900 years of history and a recreated Elizabethan garden, quieter and more atmospheric than Warwick's.
- Charlecote Park: a National Trust house near Wellesbourne, set in 180 acres of parkland with free-roaming fallow deer and Jacob sheep. A good slow, outdoorsy day.
- Royal Leamington Spa: a Regency town built on its spa heritage, with the Royal Pump Rooms and the Victorian Jephson Gardens for an easy wander.
- The Welcombe Hotel Spa: Roman-inspired thermal suites just outside Stratford-upon-Avon, with an indoor pool, sauna, steam room, and outdoor vitality pool.
Eating & essentials
- Stratford-upon-Avon and Leamington Spa have the widest choice of independent cafés, restaurants, and everyday shops.
- Villages in south Warwickshire, closer to Shipston-on-Stour and the Cotswolds edge, tend to have a single pub as their main amenity, so it's worth stocking up before heading somewhere rural.
- Warwickshire's countryside is well served by public footpaths, so it's easy to build a short walk into a day out wherever you're staying.
Getting there & getting around
- Direct trains run to Stratford-upon-Avon from London Marylebone via Leamington Spa on the Chiltern Main Line, with two trains an hour from Birmingham.
- Warwick, Warwick Parkway, and Leamington Spa stations all sit on well-connected lines, useful if you're staying closer to those towns.
- A car gives the most flexibility for reaching the smaller villages in south Warwickshire, many of which have no direct rail link.
Could this be your next escape? Take a look at our Warwickshire stays.
