Claremont Landscape Garden

Claremont Landscape Garden, just outside Esher in Surrey, is one of the earliest surviving English landscape gardens and still keeps its original 18th-century layout. It is listed Grade I, and it is a rare chance to see in one place the work of Sir John Vanbrugh, Charles Bridgeman, William Kent and Capability Brown, four of the biggest names in English garden history.

The circuit is built around a lake. Overlooking it is the turf amphitheatre, an unusual grassed set of terraces that once formed the centrepiece of the Claremont fête champêtre, when hundreds of costumed visitors came for music, theatre and fireworks. As you walk you can see how the designers used water, slopes and trees to create views that change at every turn. Beyond the garden boundary you may glimpse the Belvedere Tower, designed by Vanbrugh for the Duke of Newcastle, whose windows are in fact bricks painted black and white; it now belongs to Claremont Fan Court School next door.

The practical takeaway for home gardeners is how much can be done with grass, water and trees alone. The amphitheatre shows the power of simple shaped turf, and the lake walk shows how a path that bends and dips adds interest without needing flower beds. Claremont is compact enough for a relaxed visit of a couple of hours, and it works well as a short break from London or a family walk. Some paths are on slopes around the lake and amphitheatre.