3 days in Shropshire

This three-day loop keeps the driving gentle where it counts. Day one pairs Sandon Hall with lunch at The Shoulder of Mutton, which holds a 5/5 food hygiene rating, before the Museum of the Staffordshire Yeomanry. That's just 15.2 miles of road all day. Day two brings the longest hop, a 35.7-mile drive west to Wattlesborough Castle, followed by the National Trust's Town Walls Tower 8.4 miles on. Day three saves the easiest pairing for last: Whittington Castle and Halston Hall sit only 0.9 miles apart.

For a base, Boyvyle Farm - Kibble sleeps 6 and is 1.9 miles from Church Stretton station, while Home Farm House sleeps 14 for larger groups. If you're arriving by train, aim for Shrewsbury. Alternatively, the Holiday Inn Telford Ironbridge is 0.7 miles from Telford Central. One honest note: the nearby River Severn bathing spots are rated Poor by the Environment Agency, so admire the river rather than swim in it.