Team Travels : Heart of England

It’s that time again – one of our intrepid members of staff has been out and about enjoying the places where you’ll find some of our luxury holiday home rentals. For this exciting instalment, our staff photographer Leti had a mini adventure around the heart of England – here’s what she had to say!

What was the highlight of the trip?

The trip went really well and I loved all of it! England has such a beautiful countryside, which is easy to forget living in London where you only see a tree once every other block.

The most amazing part of it was Peak District, where Kinder Castle is situated. The view was stunning (even though the weather wasn’t too good when we visited). Don’t take your fancy shoes here – there is rabbit and sheep poo everywhere, but that just makes the hike even funnier.

We also visited a little village called Bakewell, where the Bakewell tarts come from! A very cute little place with plenty of cute little cafes, it was pretty difficult to pick which one to try.

Being a huge fan of churches, I managed to have a few minutes in Hereford Cathedral and St Mary’s, in Kidderminster. Its part of an association of eight churches and all eight are organised and managed by just a dozen people and most of them are women (as two frequent visitors told me).

Kidderminster is full of surprises. It hides the Stone House Cottage Garden, a splendid little place with plenty of colours and scents – truly beautiful thanks to the flowers and their vivid colours! I’ve also never seen grass that green!

What and where was your best foodie moment?

The best food was the steak pie I ate in an inn, lost in the middle of loads of fields. I did not think it was possible to get so many carbs in one meal! The meat was to be found underneath a pile of creamy mash, chips and gravy (of course). The mix was surprising but really nice. I was so hungry and this lunch had me sorted for a day. I even dipped the chips in the mash!

Favourite property that you saw and why?

Two properties on this trip were stunning, Tudor Courthouse Manor and Kinder Castle. They are both grand properties and it was my pleasure to get lost in all their corridors and admire the design, paintings and art they have on display. They are both decorated with impeccable taste, with a careful mix of modern and classic design. Not a single object is out of place, they all fit perfectly together!

For anyone travelling to the Heart of England, what can’t they miss?

There are loads of places to see and England has always a surprise around the corner. The Peak District has to be seen, as well as Bakewell and Kidderminster which are really cute towns and so typically English. There is also the space centre, not far from Loughborough, which is great for kids. For something a bit different I recommend the Chase Distillery – they make vodka, gin, wine and beers. An official tour of the distillery can be done on Fridays, but if you ask very nicely, they’ll be happy to show you around.