Newstead Abbey The Midlands & The Marches

Founded as an Augustinian priory in around 1170, this evocative lakeside property was converted into a residence in 1539. It's inextricably associated with the original tortured romantic, Lord Byron (1788–1824), who inherited the house in 1798, selling it in 1818.Newstead Abbey is 12 miles north of Nottingham, off the A60. Pronto buses (£3.50, 25 minutes, every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday, half-hourly Sunday) from Victoria bus station stop at the gates, a mile from the house and gardens. Byron's old living quarters are full of suitably eccentric memorabilia, and the landscaped grounds include a monument to his yappy dog, Boatswain.