Belvoir Castle

The Duke and Duchess of Rutland's ancestral home, Belvoir (pronounced 'beaver') is a 19th-century baroque and Gothic fantasy built over the ruins of three previous castles. Still inhabited by the Manners family, it overflows with tapestries, priceless furniture and ancient oil paintings. Although the castle is in Leicestershire, Grantham (6 miles east in Lincolnshire) is the nearest town. There's no public transport so you'll need your own wheels.