Shugborough Estate Staffordshire

For the purple sheen of silver birch and wild deer walking through the mist, you can’t beat a climb up to the Triumphal Arch and on to Satnall Hills. With the dieback of undergrowth, it’s easier to spot the creatures that normally use it for cover.

In early evenings, you can spy foxes skulking between hedgerows while barn owls patrol the parkland looking for prey. Head to the arboretum for winter aconites and Lichfield Plantation for snowdrops. Adult £12, child £6.