Worcestershire is Shakespeare Country, and although Stratford-upon-Avon is not exactly the Cotswolds, we'd be mad not to see the Royal Shakespeare Company in action.

Spend the day in Stratford, visiting some of the sites connected with the great man (who was famous locally as a landowner rather than a playwright, by the way). Experience Tudor school life with William Shakespeare’s teacher, Master Thomas Jenkins, in his charmingly wonky one-room school (still going after over 500 years) and visit the church where the playwright is buried. Climb the Royal Shakespeare Theatre's viewing tower to look at the town and the Avon. For pre-trip reading, try the excellent Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell.

We'll walk to the home of his wife, Ann Hathaway, on the path that he used when  visiting her. The house was built more than 500 years ago and much of the original survives. See original furniture including the Hathaway bed and uncover five centuries of stories of the family who lived here for 13 generations. Sophie will provide insightful commentary on his early years and the impact of his literary contributions.

After a memorable pre-theater dinner, sit in the in the best seats available to take in a performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company, where Dame Judi Dench, Sir Kenneth Branagh, and many other notable actors have taken the stage.

LYGON ARMS HOTEL (B, D)