One of the most impressive historic houses in Cornwall, it was built between 1620-1640 for one of the wealthiest men in the country, Sir Richard Robartes. Following a devastating fire, it was rebuilt in 1881, becoming the family home of the Agar-Robartes until 1969.<\/p>\n
Set in 1,000 acres of parkland and woodland, the garden features rare shrubs and trees, there\u2019s a splendid courtyard garden and herbaceous borders that look spectacular during the summer months. Follow the 2.5-mile walk (details on the National Trust\u2019s website) to explore the estate, including the famous avenue of beech trees, which were planted in the 19th century, updating a line of sycamore trees that commemorated Parliament\u2019s victory in the Civil War. Some ancient sycamores remain, but it is the beech that plays host to more than 130 lichens, including rare species. nationaltrust.org.uk\/lanhydrock<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Virtually unchanged since the hall and its gardens were laid out in the 1860s for the Thellusson family and their servants to enjoy, the house is in the Italianate style. It\u2019s a design that was favoured by Queen Victoria and chosen for her family home, Osborne House.<\/p>\n While the house is noted for the Thellussons\u2019 collection of paintings and sculptures, the gardens feature an abundance of fountains, urns and tazzas, as well as classical statuary. The building was restored by English Heritage, who received it in 1990, and extensive research into the garden\u2019s history revealed the costs of creating such a masterpiece back then. In a two-year period, the costs increased from \u00a3169 18s in 1861 to \u00a3782 15s 2d in 1863.<\/p>\n The grounds, a collection of grand gardens in miniature, include a grotto planted with hundreds of ferns, a shrubbery, ornamental woodland walks and rose garden planted with both wild and native examples. The gardens boast many impressive collections, including geranium, fern, alpine and snowdrop, all of which were introduced by English Heritage. The collection of holly trees dates back to Victorian times. Happily, English Heritage welcomes visitors to bring a picnic<\/a> when they enjoy the gardens. A spectacular home and garden with an illustrious history dating back to the 12th century, which includes several historical figures who have crossed its hallowed bridge. Most notable among them is Sir Walter Raleigh, who acquired the Old Castle in 1592 and, having failed to restore the property to his liking, built the house that stands today.<\/p>\n The grounds are set out over 42\u00a0acres of gardens with an additional 1,000 acres of magnificent parkland,\u00a0much of which was landscaped by Capability Brown. His scheme survives, largely unchanged. From\u00a01753, Brown installed the lake and cascade, where the valley narrows and the River Yeo forms natural rapids, returning in 1776 to landscape the grounds closer to the house. His later additions include features such as a boat-shaped bed in the Castle Yard and improving views of the lake. Another spectacular feature is the collection of gigantic Cedar of Lebanon trees, Cedrus libani, which were planted c1769 and are sometimes referred to locally as\u00a0\u2018Walter Raleigh\u2019s Cedars\u2019,\u00a0in homage to Sherborne\u2019s most famous owner.<\/p>\n The walk around the 50-acre lake offers spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and parkland. There is also the Dry Walk, described as a \u2018hidden gem\u2019, which is a historic path that partly follows the route of the old London Road. sherbornecastle.com<\/a><\/p>\n Home of Lord Langford and his family for over 500 years, this exquisite Grade I-listed, 17th-century stately residence (built on old foundations) has a mix of formal and informal gardens. They were created by two notable designers: firstly, Inigo Jones, regarded as the first English architect of significance, is thought to have helped with the early 17th-century design. Two centuries later, landscape architect William Andrews Nesfield laid out new gardens creating a Victorian parterre within the 12-acre space.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n One of the leading designers of the period, Nesfield was asked to redesign the arboretum at Kew Gardens in 1844 and several of London\u2019s Royal Parks, in addition to working on over 260 estates around the country. Nesfield enjoyed a reputation for creating exceptional terraces and parterres, such as the fine example at Bodrhyddan, which is replanted every summer with combinations including geraniums and ageratum. There are also impressive waterlilies and the gardens are beautiful throughout the year. The sweeping lawns and woodland walk also offer visitors plenty of space to meander. bodrhyddan.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n The Warburton family has owned the land at Arley since the 12th century. In 1832, Rowland Egerton-Warburton decided to rebuild the house in the fashionable Jacobean style.<\/p>\n The gardens as they are today evolved at around the time the house was completed, and a plan dating from 1846 shows that the gardens have changed very little since. It\u2019s worth making a visit to Arley Hall for its herbaceous borders alone, believed by many to be the first ever created in England. These days, this type of cottage-style border is synonymous with quintessentially English gardens, but before William Robinson introduced the concept of naturalistic planting in his book, The English Flower Garden (published in 1883), formal and constrained displays were the order of the day.<\/p>\n Another highlight of the estate\u00a0is The Grove, an informal garden surrounded by woodland, begun over 50 years ago by the current owner, Lord Ashbrook, and his mother, which features an impressive collection of over 400 rhododendrons planted alongside ornamental shrubs such as oak, birch, magnolia, prunus, sorbs, malus, kalmia and hydrangea.<\/p>\nYou might also enjoy:<\/h4>\n
Brodsworth Hall, South Yorkshire<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Sherborne Castle & Gardens, Dorset<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Bodrhyddan Hall, North Wales<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Arley Hall, Cheshire<\/h2>\n
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