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The Shugborough Estate in Staffordshire has been the seat of the Earls of Lichfield (family name Anson) since 1831 – the 6th Earl still has apartments there. Arguably, Shugborough’s most famous son was the 5th Earl, the internationally renowned photographer Patrick Lichfield, who died in 2005. His private apartments can be visited as part of a tour of the house. The mansion is set in 900 acres of idyllic parkland, there's a historic farm with rare breeds - and the garden is a peach. If you're a conspiracy lover, Shugborough is also famous for alleged associations with the Holy Grail. The property has been owned by the National Trust since the 1960s but leased to and managed by Staffordshire County Council. In 2016, the Council handed the property back to the National Trust, who decided to close it until March 2017 to enable upgrading works to take place.

One of the Royal Parks. Bordered by The Mall, Horse Guards and Birdcage Walk, and with fairy-tale views of Buckingham Palace and the Government Buildings along Whitehall, St James’s Park will be familiar to many from its appearances over the years on TV and in films. It is a buzzy, colourful, place, handy for events like Changing of the Guard, famous for its water birds – especially the pelicans that have resided there since being a Russian gift to Charles II in 1664. It also has extremely tame grey squirrels – and keep an eye out for owls, woodpeckers and bats.

Post code is approximate.