Lyme Park, House & Garden

As the largest house in Cheshire, this Grade I listed building takes some beating in the 'wow' stakes, and those of a certain generation may remember it from the BBC adaptation of 'Pride and Prejudice', the one which made a star of Colin Firth. To say that the house is on a grand scale doesn't really do it justice, its central courtyard beckoning you inside to a generous entrance hall. Inside, it's not only the house itself which astonishes, it's the tapestries, the furnishings, the sheer beauty of the décor.

Outside, the gardens and deer park are superb, including a delightful formal Dutch garden, and fun can be had finding the various other buildings within the grounds, such as the Cage and the Lantern. As stately homes and gardens go, this one is hard to beat.