Charlecote Park
Young Will went a'poaching here
Close to Stratford-upon-Avon at Wellesbourne, on the banks of the River Avon, Charlecote was the home of the Lucy family from the 12th century.
Queen Elizabeth is said to have been entertained here in the 1570s and William Shakespeare is said to have been caught poaching in the deer park. The sweeping grounds were landscaped in the 18th century by the famous Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown and the house you see today is Tudor, re-designed in Victorian times.
The house is filled with portraits and fascinating objects and the striking 1850s parterre garden was replanted by the National Trust in the 1950s using aerial photos for reference. Take a guided walk or tour to find out all you can – in addition to the house you can visit the kitchens, coach houses and the church on the boundary of the park.
My image reproduced with kind permission from the National Trust.