Nights In The Past - The UK's Most Historic Places to Stay

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Without doubt one of the finest Tudor buildings in the UK, Littlecote House has welcomed some of England�s most famous heads of state over the past 500 years.

It was here that Henry VIII courted his third wife, Jane Seymour, and where his daughter - arguably the nation�s greatest monarch - Elizabeth I, stayed at the invitation of her Attorney General in 1601 . Littlecote has also welcomed Charles II, William III in 1688., and George VI.

Dating from the middle of the 16th century, the present building replaced an even earlier medieval mansion. But the history of the site go back even further: it was in the grounds that a Roman villa was constructed in the 2nd century AD, and evidence suggests that a Bronze Age settlement was developed here before then.

Online reservations for Dalhousie Castle are available through the following secure booking engines and operators (links are to the hotel�s specific pages): Expedia.co.uk | www.lastminute.com | LateRooms

Online booking is available through Littlecote�s own website at Warner Breaks or via the following secure booking engines and operators: Hotel Shop UK and Superbreak.

Littlecote also boasts a Cromwellian Chapel (created from part of the medieval house), Knot Gardens, a Dutch Parlour featuring painted wall panels, and a magnificent Roman Orpheus mosaic.

Unsullied by corporate redevelopment and �restoration�, this unique accommodation may be as close to time-travel as it�s possible to get.

Part of �The Old House� at the centre of the ancient town of Shrewsbury, the timber-frame Catherine of Aragon Suite dates back to the 1490�s. It was here that Mary Tudor (the future Mary I) is said to have stayed while en route to visit her mother, Catherine of Aragon, at nearby Ludlow Castle.

Indeed, a connection to the former wife of Henry VIII was found during the 1800�s - a wooden altarpiece featuring her pomegranate motif and Tudor rose was discovered behind panelling.

Though it may not boast the same number of illustrious former guests as others in the list, The Catherine of Aragon Suite more than makes up with its very personal history and all-too-rare architectural authenticity.

With its thick 13th century vaults and 15th century drum tower, Dalhousie Castle was built to withstand turbulent times.

This impressive building is a genuine fortress - not the folly of an aristocrat. And during its near 800-year existence it has witnessed pivotal moments in Scottish and British history.

It was at Dalhousie that Edward I - notorious �Hammer of the Scots� - rested before defeating William Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk; where Henry IV laid siege for six months in 1400; and where Oliver Cromwell made his headquarters in 1648.

During more peaceful times the castle was visited by Queen Victoria (1840), and on numerous occasions by Sir Walter Scott - a close friend of the 9th Earl of Dalhousie.