My piece of heaven: The Vale of Belvoir by Lady Violet Manners

There is a moment, as the sun begins to slip below the ridgeline, when the Vale of Belvoir becomes something truly magical. The warm light casts long shadows across the folds of pasture and ancient hedgerows. The castle rises above it all like a sentinel of time, watching over a landscape that has changed remarkably little for centuries. It is a moment that still stops me in my tracks — and one that reminds me why I will always call this pocket of England home.

The Vale of Belvoir is not a place of grand gestures or attention-seeking landscapes. It is gentle, quietly poetic and layered with history. You don’t need to look far to find Roman roads, medieval field systems or Jacobean farmsteads. However, it is the land itself that steals your heart — soft, rolling hills that seem to breathe with the seasons; golden fields that stretch like a patchwork quilt across the horizon.

There is something immensely grounding about the rhythm of life here — the quiet surrounding Vale villages, the Sunday church bells, the familiar faces. The smallness of life in the Vale is its greatest luxury — a reminder that beauty often lies in the details, not the drama.

Belvoir Castle, of course, is a crown jewel of the surrounding area. A fairy-tale silhouette perched above the Vale, it has stood for 1,000 years — witness to wars, weddings, harvests and homecomings.

What I love most is not the grandeur of its turrets, but the intimacy of its connection to the land. From the castle grounds, on a clear day, you can see three counties stretch out in every direction. The wind seems to carry the stories of the past across the fields. Just below, our little Engine Yard hums with new life — a collection of local shops and eateries, filled with heart and hustle. If you know, you know: the pizzas there are some of the best in the country, but still delightfully under the radar.

Soon, the much-loved The Manners Arms in Knipton will reopen — my favourite pub and a place that always felt like an extension of home. There’s nothing quite like a pint in the garden there on a long June evening, with the castle silhouetted behind the trees. To me, Belvoir is not only beautiful — it’s alive. It breathes with the stories of the people who have shaped it and welcomes those who come seeking something slower, richer and rooted.

Lady Violet Manners on what not to miss in the Vale of Belvoir

Local highlight
The Manners Arms in Knipton (reopening this summer)

Local lowlight
Lack of public transport — there is no direct bus to Belvoir (although it keeps things peaceful)

Underrated
The view from the castle at dusk — and the Engine Yard pizzas

Lady Violet Manners is the host of the ‘Hidden Heritage’ podcast and founder of the heritage travel platform HeritageXplore, covering 50 independent historic houses