East Midlands

To the South  is Northamptonshire which, with its lovely agricultural scenery, has been  described as ‘Britain’s most beautiful county’. Further north, the mysterious lowlying area called The Fens  extends through parts of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. Crisscrossed by waterways, with many windmills, it is rich in bird and wild life. Also in Lincolnshire are  the rolling chalk hills of the Wolds, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which  were the home and the inspiration of the Victorian poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson. In the Northeast of the region is  the edge of the spectacular Derbyshire Peak District.

Northamptonshire is best known  for Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix and Formula One. To the north is Leicester, the largest city in the East Midlands. Originally Roman, with a well-preserved Roman Bath House, this is now a vibrant modern city, with excellent shops, entertainment and nightlife. It also has the National Space Centre and a reputation for the best Indian restaurants in the UK.  Derby and Nottingham are the other main cities of the region and  are both well worth a  visit. Derby has a lovely Cathedral Quarter near the old Market Place, while Nottingham is popular for its Robin Hood heritage which includes Nottingham Castle and Sherwood Forest.  The author D.H. Lawrence, Britain’s first great working-class novelist, was also from the Nottingham area. His first autobiographical novel, ‘Sons and Lovers’, vividly described the hard  aspects of life in a coalmining village, as well as the natural beauty of the surrounding area.

In Lincolnshire, the town of Lincoln is of great interest to the visitor. It has the superb Norman Lincoln Castle, built by William the Conquerer in 1068 soon after the Battle of Hastings, and the spectacular Lincoln Cathedral which was used as the location for the 2005 film ‘The Da Vinci Code’ with Tom Hanks. Other places to visit include the fenland town of Boston, the castle of Old Bolingbroke, birthplace of Henry IV, and the pretty Georgian town of Willoughby, birthplace of John Smith, who became Governor of Virginia in the US and is famous for his relationship with the native American princess, Pocahontas.

With its rich agricultural heritage, the East Midlands  has many specialities for visitors to try, including Lincolnshire Sausages and  Lincolnshire Plum Bread, cheeses  including Stilton, Red Leicester and blue cheese, Melton Mowbray pork pie,  trout  and Bakewell Tart.