My mother and I are traveling to England in late April. We will have 5 to 6 full days to explore. We will be flying into/out of Heathrow. Our flight will arrive before 10am. We would like to travel the countryside before staying in London later in the week. We have a list of priority destinations one of which is Chatsworth House. I realize it is a long way to travel, but it is a must for us. My trouble is whether we should hire a car or use trains/buses. We are not exactly organized tour group travelers. We like to take our time when we can and see the things we are most interested in. However, that being said, I am not completely opposed to the idea of a one day guided tour if it allows us to experience more in our short window of time. The rough itinerary is as follows:
Travel Day
Day 1: Arrive at LHR head directly to central or northern end of the Cotswolds check into hotel for two nights.
Day 2: explore Cotswolds
Day 3: leave mid afternoon to travel to Bakewell for the night
Day 4: tour Chatsworth House in the morning (either go back to Bakewell for another night or head to another destination for one night on the way back to London to break up the travel time open for suggestions here)
Day 5: arrive late afternoon in London check into hotel on the western side of the city
Day 6: spend day in London
Travel Day
We are trying to strike a balance between the need to see as much as we can and enjoying our time being in each area. I have never driven in the UK, but and not opposed to learning. My mom has no interest. Would it be better to attempt this itinerary, if not too rushed, with or without a car? I would appreciate any advice. Thank you in advance.