A self-catering holiday in west England, in a holiday cottage in England's old shires set amidst truly magnificent countryside is an encounter with the real English heartland. This part of mainly rural England is worth visiting for its ancient villages and market towns. It is often referred to as the Heart of England.
Many of the holiday properties in the Heart of England have names with farming associations such as barn or farmhouse. A lot of the barns are actually light and airy barn conversions that have been especially adapted as holiday accommodation which most attractive interiors. The vaulted ceilings and galleried landings give that air of spaciousness.
There are some truly stunning holiday homes dotted about the Heart of England that people would love to own. A short stay or break is all that most of us can aspire to and we have to be content with our visit to Worcestershire, Shropshire and Herefordshire. Hops and fruit orchards used to be grown in this area. Vestiges of these crops and the associated oast houses used for drying the hops can occasionally be spotted. There are plenty of black and white houses and indeed complete villages of these houses that are traditional to the west of England. It is easy to see the passage of history in the architecture of the towns and cities.
The west of England shares a border with Wales and it is worth observing that the countryside around the border is incredibly beautiful, somewhere anyone would enjoy a self-catering cottage holiday.