17 suggestions for great days out

So much to do, so little time! The only answer is to come back more often and discover all this great location has to offer.

At Stratford Manor, you’re very close to Stratford upon Avon, Warwick and the Cotswolds so you can choose from the bustle of a market town to the peace of picturesque countryside. Whichever suits you on the day, there’s plenty of bars, restaurants, shops, galleries and music venues to choose from.

Outdoor activities are literally on the doorstep, so you can really commune with our incredible setting, including walking trails, fishing, mountain biking and horse riding.

If culture’s what you’re after, you might like to visit the 1000 year old Warwick Castle or Shakespeare’s birthplace at Stratford-upon-Avon.

Here’s some other ideas to whet your appetite.

The Shakespeare Houses.

Telephone Number: 01789 201806
Choose between Shakespeare's Birthplace, Nash's House, Hall's Croft, Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Mary Arden's House - or visit all of them - to witness the history behind William Shakespeare.

WarwickCastle.

Telephone Number: 0870 442 2000
Encounter over 1,000 years of mystery and intrigue at Warwick Castle. Spend the day and visit The Dungeon and Torture Chamber, the Great Hall and State Rooms, the spooky Ghosts Alive Tower (additional charge applies) and 60 acres of grounds and gardens.

Don't forget to buy your discounted tickets for Warwick Castle from Reception at Stratford Manor before you go. 

Hop off Bus.

Telephone Number: 01789 404600
Departing every 15 to 20 minutes, the City Sightseeing Bus is just the thing for touring Stratford -upon- Avon with all the places of interest it has to offer. Combine your ticket with a River Cruise to receive a special discount.

Cox's Yard, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Telephone Number: 01789 404 600
Originally a historic timber yard, Cox's Yard has been sympathetically restored to provide a unique leisure venue in a lovely riverside setting. The site incorporates ' The Stratford Tales' visitor attraction, where the history of Stratford is brought vividly to life, plus traditional English pub, tea shop, gift shop and microbrewery.

Hatton Country World, nr. Warwick.

Telephone Number: 01926 843411
Visit Hatton Park and experience two attractions in one- firstly there is free entrance to Hatton Shopping Village with converted Victorian Farm buildings housing craft and speciality gift shops, as well as discounted brand names in The Outlet. Alongside is the Farm Village (entrance fee payable) for all the fun of a working farm, plus demonstrations of sheep shearing and Bird of Prey.

Kenilworth Castle, 5 miles from Warwick.

Telephone Number: 01926 852078
England's finest and most extensive Castle ruin, Kenilworth has a fascinating past and was home to Henry V and Queen Elizabeth I. Recreated history is to be found in the hands - on, interactive model in Leicester's Barn, where you will also find the Kenilworth Castle Tearoom.

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Telephone Number: (Box Office) 0870 6091110
With unrivalled views across the River Avon, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Swan Theatre are the home of the Internationally recognised Royal Shakespeare Company. Shakespeare's plays are performed throughout the year and theatre tours are also available.

Heritage Motor Centre, Warwickshire.

Telephone Number: 01926 641188
See the largest collection of classic British cars in the world, including Austin Rover, MG, Jaguar, Land Rover and Rolls Royce. There is also a Land Rover 4 x 4 Off Road Experience, a 1930s Garage and Themed Cinema.

Royal Leamington Spa. Tourist Information Centre

Telephone Number: 01926 742762
Royal Leamington Spa is an elegant town in the heart of South Warwickshire with much to offer the visitor.
The magnificent Royal Pump Rooms house the town's Museum, Art Gallery and Tourist Information Centre, alongside the Regency-style Assembly Rooms.
Across the road are the Jephson Gardens, Grade 11 listed gardens of horticultural excellence, perfect for a gentle stroll.

Coughton Court, Alcester, Warwickshire.

Telephone Number: 01789 400777
Website: www.coughtoncourt.co.uk
Coughton Court is one of England’s finest Tudor houses. Home of the Throckmorton family since 1409, the house has fine collections of furniture, porcelain and family portraits, and a fascinating exhibition on the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
Attractions in the garden include the walled garden and labyrinth, spectacular displays of roses and a river walk.

Stratford Town Walk.

Telephone 01789 292478 or 07855 760377
Make the most of your visit with a guided walk around Stratford to see the Shakespeare Town Houses, Royal Shakespeare Theatres and Holy Trinity Church.
The guide will entertain with amusing anecdotes, tales of fires, flood, plague, medieval cures and history of town.
The tour lasts approx. 1 1/2 - 2hrs.

Stratford Town Ghost Walk.

Telephone 01789 292478 or 07855760377
"Witches and Ghosts and things not right, Fire and plague in an evil old night, Knives and Blood and cures from hell, Beware, Beware, the ringing bell!"
A guided walk around Stratford to unravel the stories of witches, ghosts, murder and mayhem.
One of the guides is a member of 'The Magic Circle' and all guides are members of equity. Be afraid, very afraid....
Walk takes approx 1 1/2 hours every Thursday & Friday evening all year at 7.30pm plus 'Halloween special on 31st October.

City Sightseeing Stratford-upon-Avon.
Travel to all the Shakespearean Houses: Shakespeare's Birthplace, Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Mary Arden's House, New Place, Nash's House and Hall's Croft. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre where the Bard's plays are performed for the majority of the year. The Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare is buried, protected by a cursed tombstone. The Old 15th Century Grammar School where Shakespeare was educated. You also get to enjoy a lovely tour through the scenic Warwickshire countryside, visiting Wilmcote, the village where Mary Arden's House (Shakespeare's mother) can be found. All tours have Hop On Hop Off facility and 24 hour valid ticket.

Bosworth Battlefield Visitor Centre & Country Park.

Tel: 01455 290429
In Leicestershire on an August morning just over five centuries ago the armies of Richard III and Henry Tudor faced each other on Ambion Hill. The battle that followed - Richard’s last stand in the Wars of the Roses - gave England a new king and saw the end of the Medieval period. The powerful Tudor dynasty had begun.

The Battle of Bosworth re-enactment takes place on the weekend closest to 22nd August and there are other events held at weekends during the summer. All-year-round the Battlefield Trail guides visitors around the battle site with information board.

Cadbury World, Birmingham.

Tel: 0845 4503599
Birmingham's very own chocolate paradise; a fun, educational multimedia attraction dedicated to the story of Cadbury and chocolate.

Hall's Croft, Stratford-upon-Avon. Tel: 01789 201806
This intriguing house is situated in the Old Town area of Stratford, a few footsteps away from Shakespeare's burial place at Holy Trinity Church. This house was home to Shakespeare's daughter Susanna who in 1607 married a highly-respected local physician, Doctor John Hall (after whom the house is named). The Tudor building is of remarkable interest apart from its Shakespearian connections.

Mary Arden's House and the Shakespeare Countryside Museum, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Tel: 01789 201806
This magnificent, thatched and timber-framed, Tudor farmstead was identified in the 18th century as childhood home of Mary Arden, mother of William Skakespeare. The building is appropriately constructed using oak from the nearby Arden forest and stone from Wilmcote itself. The house has an intriguing, fairytale atmosphere with uneven walls, irregular handmade tiles and tiny dormer windows.

Nash's House & New Place, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Tel: 01789 201806
Nash’s House is adjacent to the site of New Place – the home of William Shakespeare in Stratford for the final 18 years of his life. The only remaining parts of New Place are the small portions of wall foundations, some brickwork and two wells. Both Nash’s House and New Place originally stood in extensive grounds; today these magnificent gardens are open to the public. An Elizabethan knot garden, created in 1919-1920, includes four beds or 'knots' created from dwarf herbs or shrubs. Many of the plants used in this garden were mentioned by Shakespeare in his writing.

Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm, Stratford-upon-Avon. Tel: 01789 299288
Enjoy the unique pleasure of watching hundreds of the world's most spectacular and colourful butterflies flying all around. You can see them feeding and flying in a wonderful tropical environment. See their amazing lifecycles in the Caterpillar Room. Observe the fascinating and strange in Insect City, where Stick Insects, Beetles, Leaf-cutting ants and many more remarkable creatures are to be found. For the bolder, get close to the deadly and dangerous in perfect safety in Arachnoland; home of the worlds largest spider, a scorpion colony and other spinners of webs and dealers of death. 

The Teddy Bear Museum, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Tel: 01789 293160
World famous teddy bear museum and shop located in a heritage 16th century building in the heart of Shakespeare's Stratford. In Shakespeare's time this enchanting building - which once belonged to King Henry VIII - was a farm house. Now it is home to hundreds of bears, including the first television Paddington, Pudsey Bear, Rodger de Coursey's Nookie, Sooty and Super Ted.

Umberslade Farm, Solihull, Warwickshire.

Tel: 01564 742251
Snuggled in the pretty village of Tanworth–in-Arden, the farm has a fascinating history for the grown ups to absorb, as well as plenty of hands on fun for all the family. You can try milking a goat, feeding a calf, riding a pony, cuddling the rabbits, watch a ferret race, or take a tractor or shire horse cart ride.