The best farm stays near Stratford-upon-Avon

Britain’s longest canal passes within nine miles of Stratford-upon-Avon at Warwick, where it meets the River Avon. The long-distance Shakespeare’s Avon Way trail can be walked from Stratford-upon-Avon to join the canal at Hatton Locks. This 137-mile Birmingham-to-London waterway showcases a greener, tranquil side to the big towns it passes, and crosses particularly pretty countryside on the Warwick-to-Solihull stretch. Narrowboat, walk or cycle the towpath, visit canalside pubs, and camp around Hatton with its 21-strong flight of canal locks.

These low-lying hills undulate south of Stratford-upon-Avon, and are especially famous for their picturesque stone villages. The area is the country’s largest AONB, and the best access from Stratford-upon-Avon is at charming Chipping Campden, 12 miles south, from where you can walk the 102-mile Cotswolds Way following the escarpment southwest to Bath. Chipping Campden has good camping nearby—one site sits on a repurposed bowling green.