Harewood House

Harewood House offers more than 100 acres of gardens inside a Capability Brown landscape of over 1,000 acres, with views up and down Wharfedale. It is still home to the Lascelles family, run by an independent educational charity, and a member of the Treasure Houses of England. Gardeners can easily spend a full day outdoors without setting foot in the house.

Start on the terrace below the south front, where Sir Charles Barry created formal parterres in the 1840s; it is the most formal part of the garden and gives the classic view across the park to the lake. From there, paths lead down to the lakeside and round to the Himalayan garden, with its Buddhist stupa set among plants from the mountains of Asia. On the far hillside across the lake, a boulder called the Greystone carries a cup and ring mark more than 4,000 years old. The former bird garden is being turned into a new woodland garden, reinstating some historic walks. You can also visit the medieval All Saints' Church with its alabaster tombs, and the ruins of 14th-century Harewood Castle can be seen on the estate.

For home gardeners, the contrast is the lesson: Barry's crisp parterre against Brown's sweeping grass, water and trees shows two very different ways of using space, and the Himalayan garden is a good source of ideas for damp, shady corners. The site is large, but a shuttle bus runs between key points, and there are several places to eat, including the Courtyard Café and the Terrace Café. An adventure playscape keeps children busy.