4 Best Sights in Stratford-upon-Avon and the Heart of England, England

The 14th-century half-timber Lord Leycester Hospital at Warwick's Norman gate is a genuine hidden gem. The Lord Leycester has effectively been a retirement home for soldiers since Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, dedicated it to that purpose in 1571. Within the complex, there is a 12th-century chapel, an impressive beamed hall, and a fine courtyard with a wattle-and-daub balcony and 500-year-old gardens. It's currently undergoing a major renovation, and you should expect improved visitor experiences when it reopens as the project has attracted major investment. Hopefully tours with one of the guides dressed in Elizabethan robes will still be available, along with the chance to enjoy a cream tea in the very friendly Brethren’s Kitchen, where food has been served for centuries.

The composer Sir Edward Elgar was born in the village of Lower Broadheath, eight miles north of Great Malvern, in this tiny brick cottage. Set in a peaceful garden, the museum contains personal memorabilia, including photographs, musical scores, and letters. Be sure to take a seat next to the statue of the musician as he admires the Malvern Hills that so inspired him.

Chester’s unique Rows, which originated in the 12th and 13th centuries, are essentially double rows of stores, one at street level and the other on the second floor with galleries overlooking the street. The Rows line the junction of the four streets in the old town. They have medieval crypts below them, and some reveal Roman foundations.

Accessible from several points, the city walls provide splendid views of Chester and its surroundings. The whole circuit is two miles, but if your time is short, climb the steps at Newgate and walk along toward Eastgate to see the great ornamental Eastgate Clock, erected to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Lots of small shops near this part of the walls sell old books, old postcards, antiques, and jewelry. Where the Bridge of Sighs (named after the enclosed bridge in Venice that it closely resembles) crosses the canal, descend to street level and walk up Northgate Street into Market Square.