Melbourne Hall Gardens

Melbourne Hall has one of the best surviving formal gardens of its period in England, and it is the place to see how a garden of around 1700 was put together. Thomas Coke laid it out with help from Henry Wise, and because later owners did not sweep it away, you still walk down avenues, past basins and fountains, and between terraces much as visitors did three centuries ago.

The layout runs downhill from the house in a series of terraces linked by steps, then out along avenues to water and statues. The star piece is the Birdcage, an elaborate wrought-iron arbour by Robert Bakewell, restored in 1958. Lead figures by John Nost are dotted through the garden, including cherubs, vases and baskets of flowers, and the 'Vase of the Seasons' of 1705 is one of the finest pieces of baroque lead sculpture in an English garden. The yew walk has grown over time into a long yew tunnel, which is a memorable thing to walk through. More than twenty features in the grounds are listed at the highest grade.

Gardeners can learn a lot about structure from Melbourne. The lesson is that hedges, paths, water and a few strong ornaments can carry a garden through every season. The yew tunnel also shows what patient clipping does over centuries. Take time to look at how each vista ends in an object, such as a statue or the Birdcage, which draws you along.