The area of the UK now being highlighted as Shakespeare's England is, naturally enough, based around Stratford-upon-Avon.
At Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, visitors can visit the houses associated with his life and that of his wife Anne Hathaway.
The town is also home to the Royal Shakespeare Company where the Bard's plays are performed alongside new and original productions.
Visitors to Shakespeare's England can also take in Warwick with its Castle, one of the UK's most popular attractions, Kenilworth and Royal Leamington Spa.
For the motor enthusiast there is the British Motor Museum with the largest collection of British Cars on public display.
And there is also Rugby where, legend has it, the game of the same name was 'invented' by one William Webb Ellis in 1823.
And all within rural Warwickshire with its rolling countryside, traditional pubs and delightful villages.
All's well if it ends well – and it does
In 1605, 11 years before Will Shakespeare's death, a certain William Camden wrote : All the proof of a pudding is in the eating.
And while Camden's literary legacy can in no way compare to Shakespeare's, his words, in this instance, remain true for today's traveller.
Although one must be influenced by what one reads or hears about a destination, it is only by visiting that the true merits - or otherwise - of a place can truly be appreciated.
Many is the time I have visited somewhere without any great enthusiasm only to be hugely and very pleasantly surprised.
On other occasions the reverse has been the case and I have found (to quote Will) that : Expectation is the root of all heartache.
The good people in the Stratford/Warwick area of Warwickshire have deemed it to be as Shakespeare's England in order to lure us travellers. And by doing so they have raised the stakes.
I accept that the Shakespeare link is obvious and hugely relevant, particularlyin Stratford-upon-Avon.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust offers properties with direct and fascinating links to the Bard, and the RSC performs his plays each season.
But a butterfly farm, motor museum and England's smallest cathedral with a bell tower by Christopher Wren?
Here the link with the world's greatest playwright is, shall we say, a little more tenuous.
This, however, misses the point to a certain extent . What is more relevant, it seems to me, is whether having been persuaded to visit Shakespeare's England, one relishes or resents having done so.
Before this trip Ann and I had already sung the praises of both Stratford and Warwick.
This time we decided to use a short break to explore a little further into that part of Shakespeare's Country that comprises Warwickshire countryside.
Here is an area of historic towns, country villages and stately homes.
I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it
The first all-important decision, as always, is accommodation and we chose Wroxall Abbey, a splendidly quirky country house hotel.
It was a very good choice indeed as Ann explains below.
This is a place for taking it easy and, although he did not, Will Shakespeare could have been referring to the place when he penned : I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.
We certainly did
The Abbey, after which the Wroxall Estate is named, dates back to the 12th Century and has 27 acres of gardens and parkland.
The original Priory was founded by Benedictine Nuns in c.1141 and it flourished until the16th.
Isabella Shakespeare was Prioress here and other members of William Shakespeare's family were involved in the Priory until it was dissolved in 1536 during Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries.
The Wroxall Abbey Estate was then purchased by Robert Burgoyne, who was the Commissioner for the Dissolution of the Monasteries in Warwickshire.
In 1713 Sir Christopher Wren (architect of St Paul's Cathedral) bought the estate as his country seat.
He then re-modelled the church, which has since become England's smallest cathedral.
See A place to stay : Wroxall Abbey
Shakespeare country towns at a glance
Shakespeare's England takes in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, Kenilworth, Royal Leamington Spa and the surrounding areas.
Rugby, where the game of the same name was 'invented' is also close by.
Stratford-upon-Avon
The birthplace of William Shakespeare, Stratford is an attractive, riverside, country town that offers visitors the chance to view the five Tudor homes and gardens linked with the Bard.
The Royal Shakespeare Company offers the Bard's plays in abundance.
www.shakespeares-england.co.uk/stratford-upon-avon
Warwick
Market Square is the visitor heart of the historic town of Warwick with the Castle providing one of the UK's major attractions.
Warwick racecourse is also close to the town centre.
www.shakespeares-england.co.uk/warwick
Kenilworth
Kenilworth is a small town, which offers the ruins of England's most important lake fortress and the remains of a medieval monastery and Kenilworth Castle
www.shakespeares-england.co.uk/Kenilworth
Royal Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa is a town of wide boulevards, with Regency, Georgian and Edwardian architecture and a number of fine parks and gardens.
www.shakespeares-england.co.uk/royalleamingtonspa
A place to stay in Shakespeare's England : Wroxall Abbey
By Ann Mealor
Wroxall Abbey – on hearing the name I had visions of an historic house of grandeur, majestically situated in beautiful parkland at the end of a sweeping drive - and I was right.
Wroxall Abbey, regal in red brick, is just as you would imagine and more.
The Victorian mansion, a former girls school is full of character and old world magnificence.
The original Priory, ruins of which can be seen in the grounds, dates back to the 12 century and was founded by Benedictine Nuns.
Two of the Abbesses at the Priory were Shakespeare's great Aunts.
Sir Christopher Wren, architect of St Paul's Cathedral, bought the estate in 1713 and his wife and other family members are buried in Wren's Cathedral, the smallest cathedral in England, which is in the grounds.
The church is an historic gem, with a stunning stained glass window.
Many weddings take place here and those who take their vows must feel privileged to form part of its history.
Wroxall Abbey opened as a hotel in 2002 and millions have been spent bringing it back to its former glory.
Once inside the manor, it doesn't disappoint.
Individually designed bedrooms and suites
The 72 bedrooms and suites are individually designed with an eclectic mix of furniture, carefully chosen from auction houses countrywide.
Our bedroom had an oriental theme and was large and interesting with a huge fireplace. Asian paintings decorated the walls whilst vases and other objet d'art were carefully placed on various pieces of furniture around the room.
Views across the lawns and grounds were glorious.
Downstairs, the lounge with its pale green walls, marble fire place and gilded mirrors was elegant and comfortable.
The large, plump sofas were soft and inviting and the views across the formal patio garden and grounds stunning.
The bar had an old style gentleman's club feel with its leather chairs and log fire, perfect on a winter's afternoon.
Our meals were served in the grand, oak panelled dining room, which had real charm with its worn wooden floors, high ceilings, heavy drapes and huge stone fire place.
Here, the food was no second best to its surroundings.The dining was superb.
In the evening we savoured delicious sea bass, beef medallions, huge battered onion rings (the envy of the next table!) and a luxuriously creamy but light, crème brulee.
Staff were attentive and well versed about the dishes on offer.
The Spa at Wroxall
The Spa at Wroxall is relaxing and soothing, offering a range of ESPA treatments.
The tranquil treatment rooms are softly lit by candles and filled with the aroma of essential oils.
I enjoyed an excellent full body massage and an aromatherapy facial.
My therapist, Lucy Billane was extremely knowledgeable and professional, giving very useful well-being advice at the end of the session.
Take advantage of the monthly offers or special packages that are available.
Wroxall Abbey is perfect for a weekend break – it's a grand house with a warm heart, luxurious but relaxed with a special character all of its own.
While in the area
The Stratford town walk
The Stratford town walk takes in the Shakespeare Houses, Royal Shakespeare Theatres, River Avon and the town's 15th century timber-framed buildings.
The guides tell of fire, flood, plague, medieval cures, old fashioned sayings and history, wrapped up in a little Shakespeare.
Mechanical Art & Design
The MAD Museum (Mechanical Art & Design), at Stratford, is the only permanent exhibition of Kinetic Art and Automata with displays by artists worldwide.
It has over 100 pieces including far-fetched designs and quirky contraptions.
The Stratford Butterfly Farm
The Butterfly Farm has the largest live insect display in Europe with hundreds of vibrantly coloured butterflies and some of the world's largest and most camouflaged caterpillars.
InsectCity has stick insects, beetles and praying mantids along with giant millipedes, snails and crabs in the mini-beast section.
Arachnoland, home to the world's largest spider, rainforest scorpion colonies and the deadly Black widow spider.
Stoneleigh Abbey
Stoneleigh Abbey, a country house and the ancestral home of the Leigh family, was founded in 1154 as a Cistercian monastic house on a land grant from King Henry II.
The older portion of the house, of local red sandstone, was begun in 1561.
The newest part of the house was completed around 1720.
The grounds were landscaped in 1809 and the Orangery overlooking the River Avon is now a tea room serving light lunches and cream teas.
Kenilworth Castle
Kenilworth Castle is one of the largest historic attractions in the West Midlands and one of the most spectacular castle ruins in England.
Set in large grounds the castle is best known as the home of Robert Dudley, the great love of Queen Elizabeth I.
Once boasting the finest architecture in Elizabethan England, you can still imagine the ornate palace Dudley created for his Queen in Kenilworth's ruins today.
www.english-heritage.org.uk/kenilworth
Ragley Hall
Ragley Hall, which dates back to 1680, is open to the public on select dates throughout the year for guided tours of the impressive state rooms.
The 10 hectares of 'Capability' Brown gardens surrounding Ragley Hall are diverse and display an array of snowdrops in the winter, tulips and daffodils in the spring and a rose garden and prairie garden throughout the summer months.
Upton House
Uptown House, a National Trust property, is one time home of Lord and Lady Bearsted.
The house remains as it once was, with its art gallery and porcelain collections.
The gardens, now being returned to their 1930s heyday, have a sweeping lawn which gives way to a series of terraces and herbaceous borders leading to a kitchen garden, tranquil water garden and spring bulb displays.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/upton-house
Hidcote Manor Garden
Hidcote Manor Garden, one of England's great gardens, is known for its rare trees and shrubs, herbaceous borders and unusual plants from all over the world.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hidcote
Batsford
Batsford has one of the largest private tree collections in the country within 56 acres of wild gardens, paths and streams.
Rugby : a ruffian's game played by gentlemen
There is a saying that football is a gentleman's game played by ruffians, and rugby is a ruffian's game played by gentlemen.
It highlights the irony of the fact that a rough and dangerous game like rugby was played by polite, well-educated "gentlemen", while the much gentler and safer game of football was played by tough, lower-class men with a reputation for violence.
Even today rugby players might seem to be very polite gentlemen when compared to many footballers, especially those seen swearing at referees and angrily abusing them when a decision goes against them.
The history of rugby
Legend has it that, 1823, William Webb Ellis snatched up the football during a match, "with a fine disregard for the rules", and ran with it during a match at Rugby School, in Warwickshire.
In 1845, three boys at the school published the rules of a game that had been played at their school - and called it rugby football.
All forms of rugby developed from this game with rugby union by far the most popular.
The four-yearly Rugby World Cup, to be next held in the UK in 2015, is one of the biggest sporting events in the world, with only football's FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games watched by more people.
A stone at Rugby School commemorates the original exploit of Webb Ellis, which can be viewed on tours of the school.
The town of Rugby has a bronze statue of a boy running with a rugby ball, located beside the school and opposite the Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum.