Things to do in Warwickshire
Warwickshire, situated in the 
heart of England, is one of the most popular destinations in Britain.
The County of Warwickshire is idyllic and typifies 'Olde England', with ancient half-timbered buildings and mellow brick houses set in unique villages and quaint market towns, surrounded by gentle and picturesque countryside.
Warwickshire offers water sports,
boating,
angling and is the home of The Belfry - famous for its links with the Ryder cup. The County has six country parks and 1,
700 miles of footpaths and
bridleways.
There are many delightful gardens and stately homes to visit, such as Coughton Court, Charlcote Park and Ragley Hall.
Best Villages in Warwickshire Chart
| Name | Highlight | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dunchurch | Half Timbered Buildings | 2,938 |
| 2. Bidford on Avon | 600 Year Old Bridge | 5,350 |
| 3. Austrey | Thatched "Bird in Hand" Pub | 1,527 |
| 4. Stretton on Fosse | Cotswold Stone Houses | 439 |
Visitors to Warwickshire have a vast variety of things to see and do.
The south of the county is known as 'Shakespeare Country' and Tourism in Warwickshire often starts at William Shakespeare's Birthplace - Stratford Upon Avon.
In the town centre you can visit Shakespeare's Birthplace,
Nash's House and New Place
and Hall's Croft. Just outside the 
town centre is the charming village of Shottery,
where you will find Anne Hathaway's Cottage. Mary Arden's House and
Countryside Museum is to be found in the village of Wilmcote. Stratford Upon Avon is,
of course famous as home to the Royal Shakespeare Company. They perform in the three
theatres set in beautiful locations near the River Avon. The town offers even the most discerning shopper an interesting choice and good cafes,
restaurants and hotels are
plentiful. Nearby market towns worth visiting are Shipston on Stour and Alcester.
'Shakespeare Country' also encompasses the majestic,
medieval Warwick Castle. The town is home to many fascinating attractions,
such as the historic group of half timbered buildings
known as Lord Leycester Hospital - don't miss the tiny,
tranquil garden behind the master's house. Why not visit the Collegiate Church of St Mary,
whose tower is a landmark
for miles around,
to see the Beauchamp Chapel,
also the Medieval and Tudor tombs? St John's Museum,
housed in a Jacobean mansion is home to the Royal Warwickshire Regimental
Museum.
The attractive market town of Kenilworth is worth visiting to see the historic ruins of Kenilworth Castle - immortalised by Sir Walter Scott in his novel of the same name.
The elegant town of Royal Leamington Spa has many fine Regency buildings,
including the Royal Pump Room and Baths,
which today house a Warwickshire Tourist Information office, the town's library, art gallery and museum. The beautiful gardens beside the banks of the River Leam were laid out for the benefit of visitors who came to the Pump Room to
take the waters,
and are just as enjoyable today.
Rugby is well
known for its famous School,
which has been co-educational since 1993. It was the inspiration for Thomas Hughes novel Tom Brown's School Days and for being the home of Rugby
Football. To find all about the school's history and its famous pupils you can visit Rugby School Museum.
Just as south Warwickshire is known as 'Shakespeare Country', the north of the County - in particular the area around Nuneaton and Bedworth - is now known as 'George Elliot Country'. Born as Mary Ann Evans in 1819 on the Arbury estate, the novelist lived for 21 years in Griff House, situated mid way between the two towns. Her works include 'Scenes of Clerical Life' and 'Mill on the Floss'. Nearby Arbury Hall, is well worth visiting.
Days out in Warwickshire
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Anne Hathaway's Cottage
The most romantic of all the Shakespearean properties, is Anne Hathaway's Cottage, which lies in the beautiful hamlet of Shottery, just outside Stratford-upon-Avon.
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Arbury Hall
Arbury Hall has been the seat of the Newdegate family for over 400 years and is the ancestral home of Vicount and Viscountess Daventry.
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Bosworth Water Trust Leisure and Water Park
Bosworth Water Trust is a 50 acre leisure park with 20 acres of lakes for dinghy, boardsailing and fishing.
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Charlecote Park
A visit to Charlecote Park is a chance to follow the fortunes of the Lucy family who came to England during the time of William the Conqueror.
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Collegiate Parish Church of St Mary
The most prominent architectural feature in Warwick, and for many miles around, the Collegiate Parish Church of St Mary is a building of great beauty and significance.
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Coughton Court
Coughton Court has been the ancestral home of the Throckmorton family since 1409 and is a fine example of a Tudor stately home.
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Hall's Croft
Halls Croft was the home of Dr. John Hall and Shakespeare's eldest daughter Susanna, whom he married in 1607.
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Harvard House
Harvard House is not currently open to the public.Harvard House was the home of Katherine Rogers, mother of John Harvard, whose bequest made possible the foundation of Harvard University. Harvard House is the home of the Museum of British Pewter.
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Kenilworth Castle
Take a journey through British history on a visit to Kenilworth Castle, scene of ancient battles and Royal grandeur.
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Mary Arden's House And Countryside Museum
The farmhouse at Wilmcote, just three miles outside Stratford-upon-Avon, the home of William Shakespeare's mother, is now a countryside museum; devoted to showing country life from Tudor times to the present day.
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Nash's House and New Place
At the end of Chapel Street, you will find the beautiful old building from the sixteenth century, known as Nash's House. In the garden, you can see the foundations of New Place - Shakespeare's fine house.
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Packwood House
Packwood House, with its showcase gardens, is a splendid Tudor House which has gone full circle from being thoroughly modernized over the centuries to being restored to its Tudor grandeur.
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Ragley Hall
Ragley is the Family home of the 9th Marquess and Marchioness of Hertford, seat of the Conway-Seymour family. Designed in 1680 by Robert Hooke.
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Royal Pump Rooms Leamington Spa
The Town's Art Gallery and Museum, Library and Tourist Information Centre are all in the restored Royal Pump Rooms building, alongside the existing Assembly Room and a Café.
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Royal Shakespeare Company
One of the world's best-known theatre ensembles, the Royal Shakespeare Company performs the works of Shakespeare, other renaissance dramatists and contemporary writers all year round in its home in Stratford-upon-Avon.
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Rugby School Tours & Museum
Rugby School Museum in Barby Road is open as part of the School tour.
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Shakespeare's Birthplace
The Man of the Millennium - William Shakespeare, was born in 1564 in the half-timbered house in Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon. You can still visit this house today.
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Stratford on Avon Racecourse
Steeplechasing has taken place at Stratford Racecourse since 1755. Nowadays, we have eighteen meetings a year, between March and November.
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Twycross Zoo
Set in 50 acres of parkland, the zoo is home to 1000 or so animals, most of which are endangered species.
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Warwick Castle
Join us on our trip to Warwick Castle, check out more than 40 photos and all the tips and information you need to help you plan your own medieval adventure.
Places to Visit in Warwickshire
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Admington
Find lots of things to do in Admington. Article includes nearby towns worth visiting and info and photos of the best attractions.
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Alcester
Alcester is an ancient Roman town in southwest Warwickshire. Lying seven miles west of Stratford-upon-Avon, it has plenty of architectural attractions for visitors to enjoy without the crowds.
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Austrey
Situated at the northernmost tip of Warwickshire, surrounded by rural Leicestershire, Staffordshire and South Derbyshire, Austrey is only two miles from the National Forest.
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Bedworth
Formerly a small mining town, Bedworth has grown considerably as a sought-after residential town largely due to transport links to major cities such as Coventry and Birmingham.
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Bishops Tachbrook
Bishops Tachbrook is a small rural village, situated near to Royal Leamington Spa and Warwick, situated close to the M40 motorway.
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Bubbenhall
Bubbenhall is a small to medium sized village in the district of Warwick in the county of Warwickshire. It has a long history and a good number of historic buildings remain.
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Chadshunt
Lots of interesting things to do in Chadshunt and nearby including lots of information on attractions and nearby towns.
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Ettington
Things to do in Ettington including photos and information about the best local attractions and nearby towns that are worth a visit.
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Gaydon
The village of Gaydon in Warwickshire is 10 miles south east of Leamington Spa and in 2001 it had a population of just 376 residents.
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Harbury
Harbury is an ancient, prehistoric village sitting on a hill near the Fosse Way Roman road in Warwickshire. The area has a large number of old quarries that were used to extract lyas limestone used in the manufacture of cement. -
Henley in Arden
Do you want to eat or have a drink at a 16th century coaching inn or in a 15th century timber framed building? Then, come to Henley-in-Arden!
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Kenilworth
Kenilworth is a small town with an exceptionally good choice of restaurants and smaller shops. Enjoy excellent English, French, Chinese, Italian, Indian or even Thai cuisine. There are some good English pubs too!
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Kingswood
There's lots of things to do in Kingswood and nearby, and this article shows you the best attractions and towns you can visit.
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Lower Shuckburgh
Lower Shuckburgh is a small historical village set in East Warwickshire near the Northamptonshire border. -
Nuneaton
Nuneaton is the largest town in Warwickshire. It is best known for its connections with Victorian novelist Mary Anne Evans, who wrote under the pen name of George Eliot.
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Royal Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa is a former spa town. In the 18th century thousands of visitors would come to Leamington to bathe in the natural spring water.
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Rugby
Rugby is a pretty market town in Warwickshire with a population of around 62,000 people. It is on the eastern edge of the county, about 13 miles east of Coventry. -
Shipston on Stour
Shipston-on-Stour is a small town and civil parish within the Stratford-on-Avon district of the southern part of Warwickshire, England. It is close to the borders with Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.
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Shottery
There's more to Shottery than just Shakespeare as you'll see in this article about things to do in Shottery.
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Stratford-Upon-Avon
Beautifully situated on the River Avon, Stratford-Upon-Avon has a number of attractions linked to the famous Bard. Explore this historic market town and its surroundings and discover where Shakespeare was born and grew up.
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Stretton-on-Fosse
Stretton-on-Fosse is a small quiet village, which has fewer than 200 houses, most built of Cotswold stone and locally-made red brick.
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Tanworth
Great things to do in Tanworth and nearby including info and photos of the best attractions and nearby towns too.
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Warwick
The historic town of Warwick is best known for its magnificent castle - but the town itself is also well worth exploring.
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Weston-on-Avon
Collection of great things to do in Weston-on-Avon with great photos and information about interesting towns and villages nearby.
