Powis Castle Gardens
Powis is a pocket battleship among great Welsh houses. Its red stone walls rise like a medieval apparition on a hill overlooking the upper Severn. It was the citadel of the Welsh Marches, five miles from the English border. Its princes were a devious bunch, never knowing on whose side they stood between England and Wales. Today their fortress, normally open to the public, stands guard over the valleys leading into once-impenetrable Wales. Round it over the centuries, successive Herberts have laid out the most extraordinary terraced gardens in Britain. Clipped yews tumble down the hillside, apparently gone berserk, spilling over walls and balustrades. Between them are buried rich herbaceous borders. It is like Kew Gardens tilted 45 degrees. To one side a formal Edwardian parterre tries to pretend Powis has been tamed. Mercifully it has not. Views from the terraces are spectacular, looking out over the lush hills and meadows of the Severn valley. But behind still lurk the dark forests of Wales. The castle, cafe and shop are closed but the gardens will remain open from 10am-4pm. Follow signs as postcode misdirects.
Simon Jenkins
Ightham Mote Estate, Kent
North Downs chalk and clay give way to lower greensand south of Sevenoaks, creating a dramatic, thickly wooded escarpment with panoramic views over the weald. Beeches bravely grow out of unstable cliffs and tangles of undergrowth create an impenetrable-by-humans wildlife habitat in places. Tucked into a secluded dip is gorgeous medieval Ightham Mote and its stunning garden. They are both currently closed but the 500-acre estate with its brilliant walks, which link to Knole Park to the west, remains open. And the beauty is that many routes lead around the gardens and house, so it’s easy to peep at the enchanting scenes behind the ancient walls, particularly as the car park is also still open. My favourite walk starts at One Tree Hill, another NT beauty spot just outside the estate, taking in spectacular Wilmot Hill, Victorian hoppers’ huts in a distinctly wet secret valley and mysterious Scathes Wood. Turtle doves purr, bluebells, wood anemones and primroses sparkle on the woodland floor and the paths along the south-facing scarp are alive with brimstone, peacock and orange-tip butterflies enjoying this sheltered, sunny spot.
Adam McCulloch
Ashridge Estate, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire
With 5,000 acres of ancient woodland on the Hertfordshire-Buckinghamshire border, Ashridge offers 80 miles of designated footpaths, bridle paths and bike trails, though the visitor centre and shop are now closed. First settled by Blue Friars in the 13th century, the parkland was developed by Capability Brown in the 1760s. The blue cassocks are long gone, but in spring the forest is cloaked in bluebells and wild garlic. Fallow deer, introduced by the monks, are easily spotted. Ashridge is a nationally important site for ancient and veteran trees. An ancient yew starred in Harry Potter, and the woods, with fake snow added, were used in the 2012 Les Misérables film. There are nine self-guided walks – from Ancient Trees to the Battle of Berkhamsted Common – and four waymarked walks (no map required). A four-mile cycle route is ideal for families.
Adrian Tempany
Wimpole Estate, Cambridgeshire
With 2,500 acres of gently rolling countryside west of Cambridge (leave the M11 at junction 12) the gardens and parkland surrounding Wimpole Hall offer loads of room for social distancing wanders. The house, visitor centre and Home Farm are all closed, but extensive formal gardens include a walled garden with flower borders and orchard, and a Dutch Garden of symmetrical hedges and colourful plants. At the moment the gardens are a riot of yellow and cream daffodils, in a variety of shapes and heights, some delightfully scented. If you’d rather keep even more of a distance, there are miles of footpaths around the Capability Brown-designed parks, woodland, picturesque folly and chain of lakes. Download a walking guide. Older children might enjoy a three-mile hike to discover four woodland “thrones” commemorating first world war soldiers connected with Wimpole.
Liz Boulter
Culzean Country Park, Ayrshire
Spread over 260 hectares, Culzean Castle and Country Park is one of the Scottish National Trust’s grandest estates. Built in the 18th century for one of the oldest clans in Scotland, the Kennedy family, the castle itself is currently closed but the sweeping outdoor area and beach remain open and free of charge. The parkland, all woods, peaceful glades and glens, is home to a small herd of red deer and llamas, and rejuvenating walks here are made easy by 17 miles of pathways. Best of all, though, is the cool and head-clearing beach: three miles of cliffs, bays and shore, and therapeutic views over the Firth of Clyde to Arran. Rock pooling for ghost prawns and starfish is fun here, and there are history-laden cliffside caves, once lived in by people during the Neolithic age. All great escapism.
Caroline Eden
Croome, Worcestershire
Croome, just off the M5 and eight miles south of Worcester, has a cracking story to tell – or rather two. In the second world war it was a secret RAF airbase (the fascinating museum telling the story is still open, as is everything else on the estate except the cafe, though that may change soon). It’s second claim to fame is that the grand landscaped gardens were Capability Brown’s first large-scale commission, in 1751. The landscape designer swept away the unproductive marshland – and the village that spoilt the view from Croome Court – and replaced it with acres of natural-looking parkland, with views to the Malvern Hills in the west. In spring a leisurely, self-guided four-mile circular walk from the visitor centre passes swathes of bluebells and daffodils to the accompaniment of birdsong. Keep an eye out for herons and the odd kingfisher, too.
• nationaltrust.org.uk/croome
Gavin McOwan
Penrose Estate, Cornwall
I’ve spent countless hours walking around Cornwall’s largest lake, the Loe, on the National Trust’s Penrose Estate on the Lizard Peninsula. One of my favourite views in Cornwall can be found at Loe Bar, the improbably narrow shingle bank that separates the Loe from the sea. Standing between the two you look into two separate, and wholly beautiful, worlds. On one side, heavy Atlantic seas pound the sand and on the other, the dense woodland around the pool is calm and sheltered, an oasis in turbulent times. I can lose whole days wandering along the miles of isolated, winding pathways around the Loe through marshes, woodland and lakeside, which has a rare, unspoiled feel to it, as no water sports are allowed at any time. When I’m feeling energetic, though, I cover the same ground in a couple of hours, running around the lake and making use of the outdoor gym equipment the National Trust has helpfully placed at intervals along the path.
I’m not the first writer to have been drawn in by the charms of the Penrose estate. Wilkie Collins raved about the Loe in his 1861 travel book, Rambles Beyond Railways, in which he wrote: ‘No fairy vision of Nature that was ever imagined is more fantastic, or more lovely than this glorious reality.’ And, more recently, the estate inspired Xan Brooks’ altogether grittier novella, Savage Lovely Cornish Homes, which was published by National Trust Books last year, and which may provide an alternative dip into the Loe for those unable to make it to Cornwall. I will be heading out for walks here with my children in the coming weeks where, if we’re lucky (and quiet), we’ll see herons, otters and deer. In the event we don’t (we’re rarely that quiet), we will retell stories inspired by this beautiful place, of King Arthur throwing Excalibur into the lake, and the giant Jan Tregeagle of Cornish mythology, who created Loe Bar when he dropped his bag of sand while being chased by the devil.
Wyl Menmuir
Studley Royal, North Yorkshire
When I want to see big trees in wide open spaces, which is quite often these days, I head for Studley. Like many National Trust properties where you find entrance rates for “the house” and “the garden”, it’s in two parts, except here it is abbey ruins and 300-acre deer park. The latter is still open and is magnificent: an 18th-century manmade wilderness with river canyon, lake and sinuous mini-dales where you might encounter some of the estate’s deer, but people are usually few and far between. A disgraced ex-chancellor of the exchequer, John Aislabie, who set about landscaping the grounds of the former abbey. He had time on his hands after a spell in prison for what the House of Commons investigators called “infamous corruption”. Whatever his crimes, his penance is a worthy one. I especially love the ancient sweet chestnut trees – great spirals of twisting bark dotted throughout the park.
Kevin Rushby
Colby Woodland Garden, Pembrokeshire
The National Trust manages a lot of breezy coasts and exposed headlands in south-west Wales but Colby, a mile inland from Amroth, has the special allure of a secret garden. It covers about eight acres, but as it’s tucked away in a valley inside a corridor of trees, it feels secluded and atmospheric. It’s shady year round and winding streams and generous rainfall keep the soil well watered. Wildflowers seem to love the arrangement, as do azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias. There are venerable old oaks and a 134-foot Japanese redwood, said to be the tallest example in the UK. Birds flicker through the mid-canopy and bugs populate the undergrowth. Otters are occasionally spotted.
Like so many bucolic places in this part of Wales, Colby has played a role in the region’s industrial history. You’ll see entrances to a capped-off coal mine on your rambles and an old mine track leads to the coast – a lovely walk, bringing you out on to Amroth’s sandy beach (where a petrified forest can sometimes be seen at low tide), with views across Carmarthen Bay to Worm’s Head at the tip of the Gower Peninsula.
The Bothy tearoom, shop and walled garden are closed, but the toilets remain open.
Chris Moss
Winkworth Aboretum, Surrey
Spring is spectacular at the National Trust’s only arboretum, the under-appreciated Winkworth near Godalming in the Surrey hills. Pink camellias towering over glades of daffodils in fairytale profusion are followed by flowering cherry trees and citrus-scented white magnolia. In April, the steps up the bluebell-blanketed hill from the boathouse will lead through bright cascades of azaleas. Three walking routes circle Winkworth’s 100 acres, from a relatively accessible trail through the woods to a more challenging couple of miles over hills and meadows. At the top, there are views across rolling countryside; in the valley, a wooden walkway leads through rushy wetlands and a tiny stream runs between mossy trees into the reed-fringed lake. In 1937 Wilfrid Fox, a dermatologist with a passion for trees, first began planting specimen trees on land near his farmhouse; he gave the arboretum to the National Trust 15 years later. He chose beeches, sweetgums, oaks and maples to “paint a picture”, creating a landscape for future generations to enjoy.
Phoebe Taplin
Sherborne Park Estate, Gloucestershire
This country estate in the Cotswolds may not be a household name, but its wide meadows, parcelled woods and rural wildlife saw it used as the base for the BBC’s Springwatch in 2017 and 2018. Among the waymarked walks in its 1,675 hectares, the pick is the three-mile Historic Farmland Hike, which leads you though a mellow, sheepy landscape with deep views. Park at Ewe Pen Bar, 500 metres from the A40 junction (GL54 3DT). Bring your binoculars – at this time you’ve got a decent chance of spotting anything from yellowhammers and skylarks to hares and overwintering fieldfares. The land was gifted to the National Trust in 1982 but is a working estate, so stay on paths and keep dogs in check. Lodge Park, which forms part of the wider estate and sits on the opposite side of the A40, is currently closed.
Ben Lerwill
Sheffield Park and Gardens, East Sussex
With 250 acres of parkland and gardens, this rolling estate by the River Ouse is, I’ve always found, a great place for losing myself on an idle ramble. Dating back to Saxon times, it was landscaped by Capability Brown in the 18th century, lost to agriculture, then wonderfully restored and opened to the public 12 years ago. Four picturesque ponds are the site of an annual waterlily festival in May/June (fingers crossed for this year). They’re a delight in spring too – go now and you’ll see them girded by uplifting displays of colour including rafts of daffodils and delicate snake’s head fritillaries. But to really get away from it all, take the undulating three-mile hike around the estate (maps available from reception) to enjoy some of the finest parkland views in Sussex. The tearoom is currently closed.
Dixe Wills
Nunnington Hall, North Yorkshire
The tranquil walled gardens of Nunnington Hall, on the banks of the Rye near Hovingham, have something for everyone, from formal beds and a perfect picnic lawn, to an enviable kitchen garden and wild corners. The lawn games beloved by my young son will not be available, and the house and tea kiosk are closed, but the garden is full of hide-and-seek opportunities and the place will be burgeoning with spring colour, birdsong and insect life. Our plans for additional time at home involve a bit of gardening and I know we’ll find plenty to inspire – this place has been fully organic for 18 years and the expert grounds staff will be available (with appropriate social distancing) to talk visitors through their nature-enhancing approach to anything from composting to growing fruit and veg or creating a dreamy wildflower meadow in the lawn.
Amy-Jane Beer
Ickworth House, Suffolk
Grand old Ickworth House and all its visitor facilities are closed for the foreseeable future, but its 1,800 acres of eclectic gardens and parklands remain open. The estate is vast and varied, with everything from ancient woodlands to pristinely manicured Italianate gardens. There are also walled gardens full of trailing peppers and shoots of rhubarb, and the spring garden will soon be in full bloom with bluebells, Spanish fritillaries and ox-eye daisies. Over in the North Pleasure Garden, there are already daffodils aplenty. For animal lovers, early mornings are the best time to spot wild deer in Lownde Wood on the southern part of the estate, while the estate’s ewes, currently grazing in Horringer Meadows, are due to lamb in early April. Don’t miss the intriguing, fairy kingdomesque Stumpery, a shaded area thick with ferns and the gnarled stumps of trees uprooted during the second world war Dig for Victory campaign. Dogs on leads are welcome.
Rosie Hopegood
• This article was updated on 23 March 2020 to make clear that, three days after the original version was published, the National Trust announced it was closing its parks, gardens and built properties to restrict the spread of Covid-19. The headline, “Best National Trust parklands to visit right now - for free”, was also amended.
