Sir Elton John is to take to the road this summer for a tour of England and Wales which will visit five historic venues.

The 52-year-old pop star will perform at five regal sites, including Chatsworth in Derbyshire and Castle Ashby in Northamptonshire.

They follow shows last year at Harewood House, near Leeds, and Leeds Castle in Kent.

Speaking of his tour, Sir Elton said: "I had such a good time last year performing the select shows at Harewood and Leeds which really were a teaser for this year's tour."

"The UK is obviously home and so that always makes playing here a bit special," he added.

The flamboyant performer said he will perform on his own with just a piano for the shows.

"The great thing about performing alone with just the piano is that you can change and adapt each show to the individual setting and audience," he said.

He will start at Chatsworth on 3 June and will play at Broadlands in Hampshire, Burghley House in Lincolnshire and Margam Park in Port Talbot, near Swansea, before finishing at Castle Ashby on 22 July.

A special arena will be created at each of the venues.

Sir Elton John, who is to get a lifetime achievement award at this year's Grammys, is one of the biggest-selling pop artists of all time.

He has released more than 40 albums and sold over 200 million records throughout his long and successful career.

Last year he was forced to reschedule a number of concert dates after undergoing emergency surgery to fit a heart pacemaker.