Compton Verney Art Gallery & Park

Compton Verney pairs a serious art gallery with a large Georgian landscape park, and the grounds alone make a good day out. The house sits on the west side of a lake, and the 120 acres around it were laid out by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown from 1769. Walking here is mostly about wide views, big trees and water, with the gallery as the centrepiece.

From the Welcome Centre you can take a shuttle to the house or walk there in about ten minutes. Lakeside, woodland and meadow walks lead off in different directions. Look for the Upper Bridge, which Brown built when he joined two pools into a single stretch of water, the long crescent of Wellingtonias planted in Victorian times, the Cornish granite obelisk over the old family vault, the chapel and the restored ice house. There is also a bird hide, a chain ferry, a forest school and playground, and Sculpture in the Park, which places artworks out in the grounds.

For gardeners, the sensory dye garden and butterfly bank are the most practical areas, showing plants grown for colour, scent and wildlife rather than show. The wider park is a lesson in how a few bold moves, such as a sweep of water and clumps of cedars, oak and ash, can shape a whole view. Inside, six permanent collections and changing exhibitions are included in admission, so plan for a mix of indoor and outdoor time.