Staunton Harold hall

Although the hall itself is a private residence, its owners are passionate about sharing the land with walkers and cyclists. With the National Forest on its doorstep, head even further into the great outdoors, or follow a path of 13 inscribed stiles on The John Blunt Poetry Walk, crafted by the estate’s landowner.Staunton Harold’s National Trust-owned church was also beautifully, and lavishly, crafted – one of few built between the outbreak of the English Civil War and the Restoration. Sir Robert Shirley, whose family owned the hall for five centuries, ordered its construction in defiance of Oliver Cromwell. Imprisoned for his plotting, he died in the Tower of London, and was eventually buried in the church’s crypt along with other family members. The church is open to the public on selected days in the summer. The estate’s former stable block and now the Ferrers Centre for Arts and Crafts is another must-visit. Watch as craftspeople, from painters to blacksmiths, practise their art in front of you, and admire the best of British craftsmanship, also explore an array of talented makers in the Ferrers Gallery located in this exquisite courtyard setting. Sure to capture your attention, The Victorian Model Workshop is perhaps its quirkiest studio. A designer of automatons, it’s one of very few workshops of this type open to the public and featured on TV, with Jay Blade's and David Jasons Touring Toolshed.