Fri -  Morning departure as we make our way Leicester, some free time in the city before rejoing the coach to continue on to the hotel in time for our evening meal.

Sat - This morning we enjoy a visit to Burghley House where you can explore. We then travel the short distance into Stamford proclaimed by Sir Walter Scott as “the finest stone town in England”. There’s free time to explore the quaint streets and alley-ways of this historic and compact town centre that has more than 600 listed buildings of mellow limestone including five medieval churches.

Sun - Our first stop today is Barnsdale Gardens, made famous by gardener Geoff Hamilton and the BBC programme Gardeners’ World which started filming from the site in 1983. We then travel to Rutland Water, one of the country’s largest artificial lakes, for a 45-minute cruise aboard the ‘Rutland Belle’. During the journey there’s a stop at Normanton Church, one of Rutland’s most famous landmarks and a structure that appears to float on the lake when the reservoir is full. In the afternoon we travel to the traditional English market town of Oakham, full of little shops and boutiques.

Mon - Fill up on a delicious breakfast before we depart the hotel. We head for Melton Mowbray. In the north east of Leicestershire, discover a wealth of local produce in the regional food capital of Melton Mowbray. Pork Pies and Stilton cheese are made here and at the heart of Melton’s appeal. English royalty’s association with Melton goes back to the 1100s and the town was at the centre of the Leicestershire Hunt, giving the county its mascot and symbol, the Leicestershire fox.