Lowther Castle & Gardens

Lowther is a garden about rescue and renewal. The castle was abandoned in 1935, the roof came off in 1957, and for half a century the gardens disappeared under timber plantations and farm sheds. Since the site reopened in 2011, the gardens have been brought back to life to a masterplan led by Dan Pearson, so a visit mixes romantic ruins with bold, modern planting.

Start in front of the castle in the parterre, planted with perennials designed by Dan Pearson's studio, where plants such as Joe-pye weed draw in butterflies late in the summer. Walk on into the Garden in the Ruin, where plants such as Hydrangea aspera and Parthenocissus henryana grow among the castle walls. The Rose Garden holds over a thousand eglantine roses and later plantings of David Austin roses, underplanted with brunnera, sweet woodruff and white geraniums. Further out are the Japanese Garden, first made in 1904, the orchard and woodland paths.

For gardeners, the Rose Garden and parterre show how to use roses and perennials in a looser, more natural style, and the ruin plantings are full of ideas for walls and shade. It is also an excellent family day out: the lost castle is one of the UK's largest wooden adventure playgrounds, there is a cafe and takeaway in the courtyard, and well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome in the gardens.