HISTORY and holidays are just about on everyone’s doorstep.

One of the fascinating aspects about living in the UK is that you are never that far away from a place where an historical event took place and from a place where you can enjoy a short break or a longer stay if preferred to find out what happened years ago.

Now an exciting, new short break within easy reach of Worcestershire has been launched to help visitors discover the story of the life and death of the famous King Richard III, whose remains were discovered a couple of years ago underneath a car park.

The last Plantagenet King of England is the focus of the new Stay Play Explore King Richard III short break in Leicester and Leicestershire that includes three from a choice of five related activities plus overnight accommodation, for just £109 per couple.

The launch of the new short break extends the range of Stay Play Explore short breaks in Leicester and Leicestershire, and follows the recent Judicial Review ruling that King Richard III will be re-interred in Leicester Cathedral.

The cathedral is itself located just 100 steps away from the new King Richard III Visitor Centre, which opened its doors to the public shortly before the end of last month. The re-interment will take place in 2015.

The breaks include hotel B&B for one night plus a choice of three from: admission to the King Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicester, admission to Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre in Leicestershire, a Blue Badge guided tour of Richard III's Leicester, afternoon tea at a choice of city centre venues, or vouchers for King Richard III books from the Visit Leicester centre.

For more information on the King Richard III short breaks or to make a booking, visit www.stayexplore.co.uk/KingRichardIII or telephone 0116 225 4000 The much-anticipated King Richard III Visitor Centre: Dynasty, Death and Discovery is Britain's newest visitor attraction. It will use powerful storytelling, beautiful design and 21st century technology to recount the details of the life and death of the much-debated king, including the events that led to his hasty burial and eventual re-discovery in a Leicester car park in August 2012.

Bosworth in Leicestershire is the site where the Battle of Bosworth took place in 1485 and is infamous as the place where King Richard III lost his life and crown to Henry Tudor.

This event made Bosworth the location where the last English King to be killed in battle was slain and where the Tudor dynasty was born. The King's body was taken back to Leicester after his death for burial.

Apart from bringing history to life Leicestershire also has glorious countryside and several interesting towns to explore such as Melton Mowbray, famed for its pork pie production, Uppingham and Market Harborough, while there is also the opportunity to pop into England’s smallest county, Rutland – enclosed by Leicestershire – to visit Oakham and spend a day exploring Rutland Water.

This internationally famous nature reserve is managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust in partnership with Anglian Water and provides one of the most important wildfowl sanctuaries in Great Britain, regularly holding in excess of 20,000 waterfowl.

It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, designated as a European Special Protection Area and internationally recognised as a globally important wetland RAMSAR site.

Leisure facilities are also available including cycling, sailing and fishing.