Some of the best ways to experience the Notswolds happen beyond the town centre. Scenic destinations that bring together landscape, good food and often a little more, whether that’s gardens, shops, wellness spaces or room simply to wander. Chosen for this point in the year, when the countryside begins to open up again.

The first quiet signs that winter is beginning to lift are popping up across the countryside. Here's our list of the best places to see the snowdrops in the Notswolds, from historic gardens to hidden woodland walks. Perfect for a winter wander and the first glimpse of spring on its way.

Travis and his owner Gary Curtis are a regular sight in the photogenic streets of Stamford. As the aesthete behind @theoldbuilding, Gary documents the town’s historic corners and changing light. Together they cover the town day after day, capturing the weathered stonework, painted doors and layered architecture that gives Stamford its character.

It’s half term already! We’ve scoured the Notswolds for the best half term activities across Rutland, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Cambridgeshire. Days out, kids workshops and even a few comedy shows to make the school break fun, easy and memorable.

February is a month of gentle shift. The light lingers a little longer, the countryside begins to stir, and winter slowly loosens its hold. This reading list sits between seasons, thoughtful and hopeful in equal measure, with books for quieter days, brighter evenings, and the first sense of change in the air.

From Michelin-starred lunches for under £50 to some of the region’s most exciting recent openings, this is our guide to the best winter offers across the Notswolds right now.

Some dishes belong to a particular moment in the year. Pigs in blankets is one of them. In the first of our Seasonal Plates series, Ali Duncombe, head chef at Fern in Uppingham, approaches a festive favourite with the same care as any signature dish.

Studio days with artist Gillian Durno and Florence the black cocker who steals shoes, curls into dust sheets and accompanies Gillian as she gathers the views that shape her paintings across the Notswolds.

January reading is about slowing the pace. These are books to dip into by daylight, to leave open on a table, to return to in the evenings when the house is quiet. Reading, like the season, becomes a form of rest. A way to think more clearly, notice more closely, and let the year arrive in its own time.

After the colour and clamour of December, January invites a slower rhythm, when rest, and doing less, is exactly the point. The days are short, the light is low, and the landscape is held still. This is a time for wintering…