Top ten gardens for tiny terrors
KEEPING your children entertained over the summer can be hard work, so why not visit a garden that has some special events, features or activities to keep them amused? Here’s my guide to ten of the best familyfriendly gardens in Britain…
BICTON PARK BOTANICAL GARDENS, DEVON
NESTLING in the tranquil Otter Valley in East Devon, this eclectic landscaped garden was started in 1735 by politician and landowner Henry Rolle. Within its 63 acres, there’s an Italian garden, ornamental woodland, fernery, herbaceous borders and a beautiful Victorian palm house. Indoor and outdoor play areas, a maze and a narrow-gauge railway that runs for one-and-a-half miles will keep children amused. Open daily, 10am-5pm. bictongardens.co.uk
COTSWOLD WILDLIFE PARK, OXFORDSHIRE
MOST people visit this wildlife park to see lions, rhinos and lemurs, but it’s worth coming for the planting displays alone. The undoubted highlight is an old walled garden containing beds of tender exotics, Mediterranean species, and an arid area dotted with cacti and succulents which forms the backdrop to a meerkat enclosure. Open daily, 10am-6pm. cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk
BOWOOD HOUSE, WILTSHIRE
THIS Georgian mansion owned by the Marquess of Lansdowne sits within 2,000 acres of parkland designed by Capability Brown. Children will love the playground with its aerial walkways, trampoline, scramble nets and pirate galleon with rigging and a crow’s nest. Open daily, 11am-6pm. bowood.org
BRESSINGHAM STEAM AND GARDENS, NORFOLK
THIS garden comprises several distinct plots, including the Dell Garden, created by Alan Bloom in 1953, and Foggy Bottom, created by his son Adrian, which features a splendid treehouse. There’s also a funfair, four steam train lines and a Dad’s Army museum. Open daily, 10.30am-5pm. bressingham.co.uk
ARLEY ARBORETUM & GARDENS, WORCESTERSHIRE
OCCUPYING a hilly site with sweeping views over the Severn Valley, Arley Arboretum was started in the late 18th Century by George Annesley, Earl of Mountnorris. A maze and play area are popular with children, while activity sheets are available for those who want to go pond-dipping. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 11am-5pm. arleyarboretum.co.uk
CHATSWORTH, DERBYSHIRE
SEAT of the Dukes of Devonshire since 1549, Chatsworth House boasts a 105-acre garden with borders, a rose garden, yew maze, Victorian rock garden and many impressive water features. There’s plenty of grassy space for children to let off steam, in addition to an adventure playground and a farmyard. Open daily, 10.30am-6pm. chatsworth.org.
FORBIDDEN CORNER, NORTH YORKSHIRE
STARTED as a private folly in 1990, this fouracre fantasy garden within the Tupgill Park estate consists of a labyrinth of tunnels, narrow passageways, false doors, caverns, water features and giant statues. There’s no set route around the garden, and a map handed out at the entrance is intentionally vague. There’s a walled herb garden, a low maze and great views across the Yorkshire Dales. Open daily, 12pm-6pm (10am-6pm Sunday). Advance booking only. theforbiddencorner.co.uk
BELSAY HALL, NORTHUMBERLAND
A COMBINATION of roses, flowering shrubs and perennials light up the terraces beneath a Greek revival house built in 1807 for Sir Charles Monck, who designed much of this 30-acre garden. Over the summer holidays, children can follow trails, enjoy bug-hunting and storytelling and even grow their own pumpkin in time for Halloween. Open daily, 10am-6pm. www.english-heritage.org.uk
DEWSTOW GARDENS AND HIDDEN GROTTOES, MONMOUTHSHIRE
AN EIGHT-acre subterranean wonderland of caverns, pools, tunnels, fountains, waterfalls and fern-filled grottoes, Dewstow was built in the early 20th Century by James Pulham & Son, which specialised in artificial rockworks. Above ground, there’s a string of ponds linked by streams, and herbaceous borders. Open daily, 10am-3.30pm. dewstowgardens.co.uk
ARDKINGLAS WOODLAND GARDEN, ARGYLL AND BUTE
ANYONE who has read Julia Donaldson’s classic The Gruffalo will love the trail based on her story that winds its way through part of the woodland at this garden on the banks of Loch Fyne. After tracking down the metalwork sculpture of the famous creature, visitors can explore the rest of the 25-acre site. Open daily, dawn until dusk. ardkinglas.com