This was just the journey to try out my new state-of-the-art built-in satnav.

It all seemed to start off well as I reversed off my drive and keyed in the postcode of our hotel destination.

But then the nice lady whose dulcet tones had been giving us directions suddenly seemed to abandon us by taking the scenic route.

More than 100 miles later the nice satnav lady and I got together again as we swept up the spectacular driveway to the Menzies Welcombe Hotel Spa and Golf Club in Stratford-upon-Avon.

This was to be our weekend country retreat while we sampled the delights of Shakespeare Country.

Nestling in a breathtaking 157 acres of rolling countryside, the estate traces its historical roots back to 1182 and has strong links with that well-known local wordsmith William Shakespeare.

It was built as a Calendar House, which means that the property has seven entrances – one for each day of the week – 52 chimneys, 12 fireplaces and 365 windows. After passing through several hands it became a hotel in 1929 and it was in 2003 that the Menzies hotel chain added it to their portfolio of four star hotels.

This magnificent mansion has kept its olde worlde charm while providing hotel and leisure facilities tailor-made for the 21st century. They include an 18-hole golf championship course, awardwinning restaurant and luxury spa and health club.

I sampled a head-to-toe massage at the Menzies Welcombe Spa. As I lay there surrounded by flickering candles, I felt very much at peace with the world. So much so that the spa staff might have thought that I had slipped into the next world.

Later, from our dinner table above the hotel terrace, we had a panoramic view of the WOW factor landscape. Its well manicured lawns and hedges were a riot of colour with begonias, petunias, geraniums and lavender.

Babbling brooks cascade into lakes which make the golf course a very challenging one. Doves swoop on to window ledges and the brilliant late evening sunshine was dancing across the timeworn brickwork of the east wing.

This really is paradise and the Welcombe is a place for all occasions.

If you really want to impress the love of your life then you can fly over Stratford-upon- Avon followed by a champagne afternoon tea for two on the hotel terrace. It is one of many special attractions at the hotel, which is also a perfect base to explore the cultural gems of Shakespeare Country.

The curtain is about to go up on the Royal Shakespeare Company’s new £112 million theatre on the banks of the River Avon. With seating for more than 1,000 people the new RST theatre will bring audiences much closer to the actors.

There will be a new rooftop café and restaurant with breathtaking views of the River Avon.

When we visited Stratford it was bustling with activity. The local sailing club’s regatta was in full swing and there was a procession of canal boat travellers inching their way through the locks.

A good way of seeing the attractions is with the hop on-hop off City Sightseeing Buses. They crisscross the town taking in such sights as Shakespeare’s birthplace and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage.

It is worth a stroll through the cottage gardens, which have more than 37 varieties of sweet peas, including the very first sweet pea to have been introduced in the United Kingdom in 1699.

You are provided with earphones on the bus to tune into a multi-lingual running commentary. Make sure you get the right channel though as for the first ten minutes my wife was picking up Italian, Chinese and French on her earphones.

But when it comes to tourist attractions Stratford-upon-Avon really has worldwide appeal.