Leicester itself is an energetic city with great shops, restaurants, bars, 1 Northamptonshire www.explorenorthamptonshire.co.uk museums and entertainment. From Tel: 0845 658 6696 award-winning 2 Leicestershire & 3 Rutland attractions to some of www.goleicestershire.com the best curry houses Tel: 0906 294 1113 (25p per minute) in the UK, Leicester 4 Derbyshire offers a great mix of www.derbyshire-thepeakdistrict.co.uk culture and style. Tel: 08456 058 058 Ashby de la Zouch lies at the heart of the 5 Nottinghamshire flourishing National www.nottinghamshiretourism.co.uk Forest, an area that Tel: 08444 77 5678 embraces ancient 6 Lincolnshire buildings, interesting www.visitlincolnshire.com visitor attractions and Tel: 01522 526450 miles of hidden nature trails. The market towns of Hinckley and Market Bosworth lie in the west of Leicestershire, surrounded by rolling countryside and pretty villages. Hinckley itself is a thriving market town and evidence suggests that it dates back to the Roman era. Picturesque Market Bosworth is certainly worth a visit for its thatched cottages, Georgian architecture and interesting specialist shops. The Melton area is a delightful and traditionally English place where quality produce, real heritage and country pursuits are not the exception, but the norm – offering a real taste of the countryside. Soak up the atmosphere of the bustling market town of Melton Mowbray, home of the authentic pork pie – and snap up a few bargains too!
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The diverse scenery of Derbyshire and the Peak District is a paradise for walkers, cyclists, extreme sports enthusiasts and the more relaxed lovers of the great outdoors. The Peak District is Britain’s first national park and has plenty to discover. The High Peak is home to the elegant spa town of Buxton, the wild moorlands of Kinder Scout, the depths of Castleton’s show-caverns, the Pennine Way and Derwent Valley’s historic dams. Belper is a small but lively market town that has its origins as a former Georgian Mill Town and lies in the Derwent Valley district, eight miles north of Derby. Originally there were five water powered cotton mills, of which now only one remains, the North Mill. This now houses the Derwent Valley Visitor Centre that exhibits the various developments of the Mills and the community that developed around them. In the Derbyshire Dales you will find craggy gritstone edges, attracting some of the world’s best climbers, as well as limestone valleys vibrant with rare flowers. Visit the historic market towns of Bakewell and Ashbourne and discover the rich industrial heritage of Matlock Bath, Cromford and Wirksworth. To the south west, the Staffordshire Moorlands offer spectacular vistas just a few miles from bustling towns such as Leek, or you can find peace and solitude in Dovedale or the Manifold Valley. Visit the lively Cathedral City of Derby and enjoy the city’s bustling shops, cafes, free museums and Derby Arboretum, England’s first public park. The city is also considered to be one of the most haunted places in the UK!
Nottinghamshire is home to the world’s most famous out-law, Robin Hood and the legendary Sherwood Forest. It has also turned out many creative greats including the poet Lord Byron and the designer Paul Smith, and is well known for its vibrant nightlife. Those who were born to shop are spoilt for choice in the city of Nottingham with all the big
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retailers you would expect to find, alongside individual boutiques and exclusive designers. Nottingham Castle is a magnificent 17th Century ducal mansion built on the site of the original medieval castle and at the Tales of Robin Hood, you can re-live the days when good was good and evil was most foul! Kids will love getting lost in their imaginations in Nottinghamshire, from swinging through trees in Sherwood Forest, feeding the lambs in the beautiful Trent Valley or searching for wildlife in Bestwood Country Park with Mill Lakes teeming with water birds, ancient oak woodland and meadows full of wild flowers. The largest county in the East Midlands, Lincolnshire, is holder to many interesting facts – did you know that Scampton is home to the Red Arrows, the famous RAF Aerobatic Team; Newport Arch in Lincoln is the only Roman arch in the country still used by traffic; Grimsby was named after a Danish fisherman called Grim; the first military tank was designed and built in Lincoln and Belvoir Castle and Harlaxton Manor were used as film locations in the film The Haunting in 1999? Lincolnshire has a wealth of qualities for you to enjoy from some of England’s cleanest beaches at Skegness and Mablethorpe to the tranquillity of the Wolds, from the vibrant city of Lincolnshire to the elegant stately homes and castles in the Vales. The past and present is all around in the city of Lincoln from the cobbled streets and antiques to the modern art scattered throughout the city. From any direction, as you approach Lincoln you will be drawn to the magnificent silhouette n – Ketto of the Cathedral stretching Rutland Pleavin y n o T / m into the skies, brooding over view.co ritainon ©www.b 2000 years of history. Leiceste rshire – For 30 years, the Foxton Locks Lincolnshire Wolds has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with curvaceous landscapes, pretty villages and the market towns of Alford, Horncastle, Louth, Spilsby, Tattershall and Coningsby. There is so much to explore in Lincolnshire that a weekend may not be long enough!
From the unspoilt Lincolnshire Vales and the magical Fens to the well-kept secret that is Rutland, there is a piece of unspoilt East Midlands for everyone! Choice Days Out & Attractions Summer 2009 47