THE HEART OF ENGLAND covers the area of lush pastureland and gentle, rolling hills that stretches from Shrewsbury in the north to Gloucester in the south, and from the Welsh borders in the west to around Stratford-upon-Avon in the east. The region has witnessed more genuine passion and spilt blood than any other area in the kingdom: poets and writers (headed, of course, by the immortal William Shakespeare) have celebrated its legends, kings coveted its hunting forests, armies clashed on its meadows, farmers and market-gardeners blessed its fertility, and industrialists exploited its mineral resources. The towns, villages and houses that lie within this special region typify, too, traditional England: half-timbered cottages and ancient villages, elegant spa towns, great cathedrals, impressive fortresses, stately homes, historic manor houses, and once-great monastic houses.