GLORIES OF SECRET BRITAIN

20 enchanting gardens you MUST visit

NO COUNTRY in the world has as many beautiful gardens to visit as Britain. So why not spend your summer exploring them? In the first part of a superb pull-out series revealing 100 of Britain’s unsung sightseeing gems, we’ve chosen 20 glorious gardens for you to enjoy, from the intimate to the grand. We’ve avoided the most famous so you’ll escape the hordes — but these are just as stunning!

TRENTHAM GARDENS

NR STOKE-ON-TRENT, STAFFORDSHIRE ST4 8JG

Over the past decade, Trentham (above) has become one of the most exciting garden restoration projects in the country.

The formal Italian garden, first laid out in the 19th century, has been redesigned by Chelsea medal-winner Tom Stuart-Smith, and flanking either side of this area are two giant 120-metre long borders designed by legendary Dutch plantsman Piet Oudolf. In August, the borders are a mesmerising river of soft, sinuous planting, combining ornamental grasses with bursts of colour from salvias, echinaceas and phlox.

Trentham’s mile-long lake and parkland were designed by lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown and are being restored to mark, in 2016, the 300th anniversary of his birth.

With its statuary, rivers of grass and areas where you are encouraged to walk barefoot, this is a great place for a family day out. OPENING HOURS AND TICKETS: Open daily, 9am-7pm (9am-6pm on Saturdays and throughout September). Admission £9.70 for adults, children £8.15, family ticket (two adults and three children) £33.60 ( trentham.co.uk, 01782 646646). WHERE TO EAT: The Italian Garden Tearoom on the Trentham estate, which serves salads, hot food and teatime treats, has an outdoor seating area and garden views. WHERE TO STAY: Kenwood Guest House, an attractive victorian property with six guest rooms, in Stoke-on-Trent — four miles from Trentham — prides itself on its breakfasts. Double rooms from £65 ( kenwoodguesthousestoke.co.uk, 01782 765787). WHAT’S NEARBY? Churnet valley railway; Trentham Monkey Forest; Gladstone Pottery Museum.

WEST DEAN GARDENS

CHICHESTER, WEST SUSSEX PO18 0RX

DESIGNED mostly in the 19th century, this 90-acre garden has undergone a massive transformation in the past two decades, thanks to energetic husband-and-wife team Jim Buckland and Sarah Wain.

Considered to have one of the finest kitchen gardens in the UK, this is the place to see all kinds of fruit and veg grown to the highest standards, outdoors and under glass. Don’t miss the orchards, ornamental flower gardens, sunken garden, wild and woodland gardens, the 16 restored victorian glasshouses and magnificent 300ft-long edwardian pergola.

OPENING HOURS AND TICKETS: Open daily 10.30am-5pm. Adults £8.25, children go free ( westdean.org.uk, 01243 818210). WHERE TO EAT: The Gardens restaurant at West Dean serves lunches and teas, using many ingredients fresh from the garden. Opens for breakfast at weekends from 9am. WHERE TO STAY: The Grade II-listed Ship Hotel, an independent boutique hotel in North Street, Chichester. Double rooms from £125 ( theshiphotel.net, 01243 778000). WHAT’S NEARBY? The historic city of Chichester and its excellent theatres; Fishbourne roman Palace and Gardens; South Downs Planetarium.

GREAT COMP

PLATT, BOROUGH GREEN, KENT TN15 8QS

DEVELOPED since the late Fifties, the seven-acre garden at Great Comp reaches its peak in August and September, when it positively fizzes with colour.

The large herbaceous borders are packed with vibrantly hued plants such as dahlias, crocosmias and red hot pokers, complemented by the more subtle shades of

ornamental grasses. But the real stars of the show are the salvias, which are from the same family as culinary sage.

There are more than 200 varieties of salvia growing here, in colours ranging from red and orange to white, pink, purple and the clearest blue.

You’ll also enjoy wandering through the elegantly formal Italian garden, past fragrant shrubs and neatly clipped yews.

OPENING HOURS AND TICKETS: Open daily until October 31, 11am-5pm. Entry £7, children £3 ( greatcompgarden.co.uk, 01732 885094).

WHERE TO EAT: The Old Dairy Tearoom on site offers lunches and teas. In the nearby village of Plaxtol , the Papermakers Arms serves good pub grub, using produce such as Kentish apples and l ocally-sourced beef. Closed Mondays ( papermakersarms.com, 01732 810407).

WHERE TO STAY: Yew Tree Barn B&B, a converted 19th-century barn in beautiful countryside. Doubles £126 ( yewtreebarn.com, 01732 780461).

WHAT’S NEARBY? Knole hi s t or i c house and garden (National Trust); Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve; Riding Farm Equestrian Centre.

WOLLERTON OLD HALL

MARKET DRAYTON, SHROPSHIRE TF9 3NA

CREATED in the past 30 years, this is a classic British garden that combines a beautiful f ormal st r ucture with exuberantly colourful planting.

The four-acre plot, surrounding 16thcentury Hall House, has been designed as a series of long vistas, with a number of separate garden areas radiating off them.

In August and September the Lanhydrock garden is a symphony of fiery oranges, reds and yellows, contrasting with the cool elegance of the yew garden, whose ten yew spires are underplanted in shades of blue, white and silver.

The rill garden, with its tranquil water feature, is where to cool off on a hot day.

OPENING HOURS AND TICKETS: Open Friday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday in August, and Fridays only in September, 12pm-5pm. Admission £6.50, children £1 ( wollertonoldhallgarden.com, 01630 685760).

WHERE TO EAT: Wollerton’s Tea Room, where on a warm day you can eat outdoors in the orchard, offers home-cooked hot and cold lunches, tea and cakes.

WHERE TO STAY: Ternhill Farmhouse B&B in nearby Market Drayton is a Georgian Grade II-listed property, once part of a working f arm. Rooms f r om £75 ( ternhillfarm.co.uk, 01630 638984).

WHAT’S NEARBY? Woodseaves Miniature Railway; Dorothy Clive Garden; Fordhall Organic Farm.

PAINSWICK ROCOCO GARDEN

PAINSWICK, GLOUCESTERSHIRE GL6 6TH

CREATED in the decadent and funloving mid 18th-century, there’s nowhere quite like Painswick.

Designed in the Rococo style, this ten-acre plot harks back to a brief period when theatrical pleasure gardens were all the rage. When they fell out of fashion most were destroyed, but Painswick somehow survived.

Extensively renovated since the Eighties, it has a network of woodland walks and more formally planted areas that suddenly reveal beautiful vistas and quirky Gothic follies in red, pink and white.

The unusual maze, planted to celebrate Painswick’s 250th anniversary, is fun to explore and has three different centres.

OPENING HOURS AND TICKETS: Open daily until October 31, 11am-5pm. Adults £7, children £3.30 ( rococogarden.org.uk, 01452 813204).

WHERE TO EAT: The Coach House Restaurant and Rococo Kitchen at the garden or The Patchwork Mouse Art Cafe in nearby Painswick, which does tasty sandwiches and cakes, and has walls covered in work by local artists ( thepatchwork-

mouse.co.uk, 01452 812560).

WHERE TO STAY: The Falcon in the pretty Cotswolds village of Painswick has 11 rooms and is surrounded by fields. Doubles from £69 ( falconpainswick.co.uk, 01452 814222).

WHAT’S NEARBY? Painswick Beacon; St Mary’s Church, with its 99 clipped yews; the spa town of Cheltenham.

HERTERTON HOUSE

CAMBO, NORTHUMBERLAND NE61 4BN

JUST an acre in size, Herterton House garden feels much bigger due to its inspired design and its wealth of plants.

Created by Frank and Marjorie Lawley from 1976, it has five separate areas. The superb flower garden changes colour as you move through it, starting with very pale shades and moving into deep hues.

There is also a physic garden, packed with culinary and medicinal plants; a nursery garden; a fancy garden with miniature box hedging; and a formal garden.

The topiary is immaculate, as is the planting, making this one of the North-East’s most important gardens.

OPENING HOURS AND TICKETS: Open daily except Tuesday and Thursday until September 30, 1.30pm-5.30pm. Entry £5 ( herterton.co.uk, 01670 774278).

WHERE TO EAT: The Barrasford Arms, which dates from the 1870s, offers an Anglo - French menu serving Northumbrian beef, lamb and game ( barrasfordarms.co.uk, 01434 681237).

WHERE TO STAY: In the nearby village of Matfen, Matfen Hall Hotel is a 19thcentury stately home which is now a 53-room luxury hotel. Doubles from £76 ( matfenhall.com, 01661 886500).

WHAT’S NEARBY? Wallington house and walled garden (National Trust); Belsay Hall, castle and gardens (English Heritage); the Roman Army Museum and the archaeological dig at Vindolanda.

KAILZIE, PEEBLES

BORDERS EH45 9HT

THIS 25-acre garden makes a wonderful day out for visitors of all ages. The huge walled garden is filled with interesting and fragrant shrubs in island beds.

There is also a large greenhouse planted with geraniums, begonias, pelargoniums fuchsias and schizanthus.

Throughout the garden there are statues, fountains and extensive woodland trails, and well-placed seats from which to enjoy the superb, views across the Tweed Valley.

The River Tweed and the streams which run through the garden attract many birds, and for a small, extra fee you can visit the bird hide and watch ospreya high up in the trees.

There is also a putting green and a children’s corner.

OPENING HOURS AND TICKETS: Open until October 31, 11am-5:30 pm. Adults £4, concessions £3.50 ( kkailziegardens.com, 01721 720007).

WHERE TO EAT: The Larder Restaurant, in an old stable square within the gardens has a Michelin Bib Gourmand award and serves delicious locally sourced food Open Wednesday through until Sunday ( kailzie.com).

WHERE TO STAY: Cringletie House Hotel in a baronial castle near Peebles, with luxurious accommodation in extensive grounds. Doubles from £135 ( cringletie.com, 01721725750

WHAT’S NEARBY? Traquair House, maze and extensive grounds; mountain bike trails at Glentress Forest; John Buchan Story museum in Peebles.

DYFFRYN FERNANT

FISHGUARD, PEMBROKESHIRE SA65 9SP

BEGUN in the mid-Nineties by Christina Shand on an unpromisingly boggy and stony site, and in an area of very high rainfall, this is a magnificent six-acre garden packed with many unusual and unexpected plants.

There is much to explore, including a fernery, an orchard, a ‘magic garden’ with views over the Preseli uplands, a bog garden, and the flower-filled courtyard garden. Throughout the garden, softly s waying ornamental grasses are combined with vibrantly coloured flowers and shrubs.

when you want a break, you can retreat to the small library and choose a book or magazine to read among the plants.

OPENING HOURS AND TICKETS: Open until November 1, 12pm-6pm. adults £6, children go free ( dyffrynfernant.co.uk, 01348 811282).

WHERE TO EAT: Ffwrn (pronounced fern) is a popular cafe in nearby Fishguard serving seafood, sandwiches and crepes from Thursday to Sunday ( ffwrn.net).

WHERE TO STAY: The Manor Town house in Fishguard is a six-bedroom boutique B&B; four of the rooms have sea views. doubles from £80 ( manortownhouse.com, 01348 873260).

WHAT’S NEARBY? The last invasion Tapestry Gallery that records the last invasion of mainland Britain; exploring the coastline by kayak; the spectacular three-mile coastal walk at dinas island with its breathtaking views.

THE GARDEN HOUSE BUCKLAND MONACHORUM, DEVON PL20 7LQ

The original Forties garden, designed around a medieval tower, has been expanded over the years to cover ten acres, and is regarded as one of the best examples of the naturalistic style of planting in Britain.

Set in a tranquil devon valley, there are more than 6,000 varieties of plants and many different planted areas to explore.

The summer garden is at its peak now, with drifts of colourful flowers mingling with ornamental grasses.

There is also a cottage garden, quarry garden, arboretum, sunken garden and terraced areas wi t h delightful herbaceous borders.

OPENING HOURS AND TICKETS: Open daily until November 1, 10.30am-5pm (closed Mondays in September and October). adults £7.70, children £3.30 ( thegarden

house.org.uk, 01822 854769).

WHERE TO EAT: The tearoom at the Garden house serves hot and cold lunches, including local seafood, snacks and cakes. look out for the ‘savoury cream tea’ with cheese scones, chilli jam and cream cheese.

WHERE TO STAY: The six- bedroom harrabeer Country house B&B is a ten-minute walk away in the nearby village of Yelverton. doubles from £75 ( harrabeer.co.uk, 01822 853302).

WHAT’S NEARBY? Buckland abbey, garden and estate (National Trust) is the former home of Sir Francis drake and Cistercian monks; dartmoor Prison Museum; pony trekking and horseriding lessons at Tor Royal Stables.

The topiary will make your jaw drop — this garden is a living sculpture gallery

SUSSEX PRAIRIE GARDEN

NR HENFIELD, WEST SUSSEX BN5 9AT

This unusual and exciting garden, only seven years old, is the work of garden designers Paul and Pauline McBride. The eight-acre site, a series of interlocking curved borders, is set out in a free-flowing, naturalistic style using more than 30,000 plants.

Each variety — there are 600 in all — is planted in large blocks, and visitors are encouraged to wander among the flowers and grasses to appreciate the leaf forms, stems, stalks and flower shapes.

The colours of the garden, in true prairie style, are mostly soft and muted, but the effect of plants grown on such a large scale is quite breathtaking. This is one of the few gardens where dogs are welcome.

OPENING HOURS AND TICKETS: Open daily except Tuesdays until October 11, 1pm-5pm. Adults £6, children £3 ( sussexprairies.co.uk, 01273 495902).

WHERE TO EAT: The White hart Pub at henfield is a classic oak-beamed pub, dating from the 17th century, which serves good gastro-pub food as well as afternoon teas ( whitehart-henfield.co.uk, 01273 492006).

WHERE TO STAY: Mercers Barn B&B in henfield offers stylish accommodation, set in gardens with views over the south Downs National Park. Doubles from £95 ( mercersbarn.com, 01273 495244).

WHAT’S NEARBY? Woods Mill Nature Reserve; shoreham harbour Lifeboat station; Lancing College Chapel.

STONE HOUSE COTTAGE GARDEN

STONE, WORCESTERSHIRE DY10 4BG

WANDERING round this charming and unusual garden, with its many brick towers and f ollies, you can i magine yourself transported to a Tuscan hill town.

Romantic, quirky and bursting with beautiful plants, it has been created out of an old walled kitchen garden, and although it’s just an acre in size it feels much larger due to the skilful planting.

Owner, Louisa Arbuthnott is especially interested in climbers and shrubs, many of which clothe the old walls and twine up through the towers. Yew hedges break up the garden and contain the exuberant planting, and a number of the plants are for sale in the excellent adjacent nursery.

OPENING HOURS AND TICKETS: Open daily until september 5, Wednesday to saturday from 10am-5pm. Admission £4, children go free ( shcn.co.uk, 07817 921146).

WHERE TO EAT: The Old Village store in the nearby village of Wolverley does delicious light lunches and teas in charmingly retro surroundings ( theoldvillagestore.co.uk).

WHERE TO STAY: stone Manor hotel, at stone, is a 56-room timber-framed property set in attractive grounds. Doubles from £58.50

( hogarths.co.uk, 01564 779988).

WHAT’S NEARBY? Kidderminster Railway Museum; the Museum of Carpet; the grade i-listed hartlebury Castle.

MERRIMENTS GARDENS

HURST GREEN, EAST SUSSEX, TN19 7RA

This four-acre plot is truly inspiring, with lovely planting combinations and deep borders that flower for long periods and are carefully designed for colour, scent and texture.

There’s something for everyone here with a wide range of cultivation styles on display, from the walled formal garden with a rill running through it to the sun-baked gravel garden, lush bog garden, tropical area, and wild garden with a bird hide visitors can use.

There are plenty of benches, pergolas and summerhouses from which to admire your surroundings as well as an excellent nursery.

OPENING HOURS AND TICKETS: Open daily, 10am-5pm (10.30am-5pm on sundays) until October 18. Entry £7 for adults, children go free ( merriments.co.uk, 01580 860666).

WHERE TO EAT: Fun, Fifties-style The Car Wash Diner in hurst green serves burgers, chilli and gumbo ( carwashdiner.co.uk, 01580 860370).

WHERE TO STAY: six miles from Merriments, in the pretty village of sedlescombe, the Brickwall hotel is a 16th-century mansion. Doubles from £115 ( brickwallhotel.com, 01424 870253).

WHAT’S NEARBY? Bateman’s and Bodiam Castle (National Trust); great Dixter gardens.

NEWBY HALL & GARDENS

RIPON, NORTH YORKSHIRE HG4 5AJ

FOR gardening on a truly grand scale, go to 25-acre Newby. its 140 metre-long double herbaceous borders are thought to be among the lengthiest in Europe, packed with colourful dahlias, nicotianas and cleomes.

The borders are backed by yew hedges and slope down to the River Ure, with secret garden ‘rooms’ leading off the main axis. it also has a pergola with flowering climbers, a water garden, tropical garden and autumn garden.

OPENING HOURS AND TICKETS: Open daily until september 27 (closed Mondays in september), 11am-5.30pm. Entry £10.20, children £8. Family ticket (two adults and two

children) £34 ( newbyhall.com, 0845 4504068).

WHERE TO EAT: The restaurant at Newby hall uses locally sourced ingredients.

WHERE TO STAY: The Old Deanery, opposite Ripon Cathedral, dates from 1625. Doubles from £115 ( theolddeanery.co.uk, 01765 600003).

WHAT’S NEARBY? Ripon Cathedral; Workhouse Museum; Fountains Abbey and studley Water gardens.

It’s the magic of Italy wafted to a British garden