Beautiful gardens. Enjoyed our morning out here in the lovely gardens in the sunny weather. Made…read moreeven better with the free hot drink we could have after (groupon deal). The gardens it's self are a mixture of windy trails and open space grass. The smells of all the flowers are gorgeous! It is definitely the sort of place my nannie would have loved. Good for romantic walks too if you're into that sort of thing!!! The leaflet handed on arrival has information on the history of the estate and gardens. There is a cafe also. Serving lunches and sweet pastries alongside hotdrinks. We had tea and coffee and bought some pastries too. There is plenty of seating...outside on the patio, inside a conservatory and inside the actual cafe are big comfy sofas so all year round I'm sure this would be nice spot. Not quite 5star as unfortunately the toilets massively let the place down and are in dire need of refurbishment.

this is an amazing garden centre and cafe and shop! hidden away near fontwell race course it is a…read morereal find! amazed by the selection of garden plants, ornaments and unusual objects-wow. the cafe is divine. the shop has some beautiful gifts. not the cheapest around but all beautiful. lovely seating area for cafe too.

A beautiful botanical garden steeped in hundreds of years of history. Although it is only four…read moreacres, we spent hours wandering along the paths and learning about plants. Plan to stay for lunch. I had the best savory tart I have ever eaten at the cafe.

Great tourist retreat and quietly tucked behind-the-scene garden for enthusiasts advancing their…read morehorticultural knowledge. As a volunteer who sometimes works with experts in garden cultivation and management, l enjoy conventional plant agriculture or perhaps the artistic landscape expression which os greatly produced throughout history. A great place to visit if you can appreciate the ornamental, small-scale and non-industrial cultivation of plants.

Hidden along the Inner Circle of Regent's Park is a secret. It's the hidden Garden of St. John's…read moreLodge. Between a couple of hedges, there's a half open gate which might imply that it's a private garden. Far from it, this is completely open to the public. But good luck finding it! Through the aforementioned gate, down a path and around a turn, there it is. A perfect English garden. No one quite knows as much about these gardens as an Englishman! Even quieter and more sedate than a walk through Regent's Park, you would hardly know that you're here in the capital of one of the largest cities in Europe. There are no sirens here. No buses going past. No loud motorcycles. Just peace and quiet. A small slice of heaven. Perfectly manicured grass, plants that have been cared for and a shady spot where you can sit and reflect. I love it. If only I could find it again!

The Garden of St. John's Lodge is so beautiful. It is hidden away and can be accessed from the…read moreinner circle of Regent's Park. It reminds me of a secret garden because of it's quiet and serene nature that seems to be untouched. You enter through a iron gate and stroll along under arches above covered in green that leads you into a beautiful English garden. This is a wonderful place to go to relax and absorb the beautiful surroundings.

Michelham Priory House & Gardens England's longest medieval…read morewater filled moat surrounds the site which dates back to 1229. Explore Michelham's fascinating 800 year history, from its foundation by Augustinian canons, through the destruction caused by the dissolution of the monasteries in Tudor times and into its later life as a country house. This picturesque island offers a great day out for the family. The Tudor mansion includes: - Interactive Victorian kitchen - WWII evacuee bedroom - Tudor kitchen - Prior's room - Undercroft Additional highlights: - 7 acres of grounds with kitchen garden, physic and medieval herb garden - working watermill and forge - interactive medieval gallery in the 14th century gatehouse - replica Bronze Age roundhouse - children's play area - trails, dressing up and hands-on activities throughout the house - café and gift shop - regular events throughout the year . A brilliant day out had a really good time it was their ww2 weekend lots of military vehicles people dressed up like 1930s and 1940s wartime singing songs like who do you think you are kidding mr hitler run rabbit run. Even the cafe had a wartime menu . A really good day out 10/10 loved it

This is proper old English heritage at it's best. Nestled away in the countryside not too far from…read moreLewes, the priory has a lot to offer. The river Arun has been diverted to enclose the estate in a picturesque moat that has a lot of fish in it. Sadly, you can't boat on it for safety reasons, but it still creates a great initial impression when you arrive and have to cross the moat to the gatehouse. You can explore the gatehouse, but sadly there are no exhibits in here anymore. The main priory is an interesting building and throughout there are a number of volunteers who act as free guides to talk you through the history of the building. I would recommend getting them to show you the mechanics of the kitchen fires, secret passage and inform you of the general history of the priory. They are all very friendly and have a wealth of interesting information at their disposal. Much better than listening to a headset, or reading off an information placard. Aside from the house, there is a working black smithy and rope museum to investigate, a cafe, gift shop and extensive grounds to explore. This includes a apothecary garden where they grow a wide range of herbs and plants used for medicine in times before the scientific revolution. Further investigation will lead you to a charming walled vegetable garden complete with a trellised vine network. It's best to see this in the summer when all is in full swing. The grounds are laid out in a number of walks and you can enjoy a very nice picnic by following the routes. One of these leads to a 14 century roundhouse project where they have recreated a number of traditional huts. Kids will love this. The estate also hosts a number of events in the summer period including medieval reenactments, plays and concerts. The website will detail these. Also, be aware that the opening times are seasonal and you should ensure that the priory is open before making your trip. One final addition to the day is a trip around the working watermill and you can even volunteer to work there for an afternoon and get a hands on experience of how to mill flour. All in all a very nice day out and this should be a designated trip on any summer itinerary in the area.

This is quite simply the best garden I have ever visited. As a trained horticulturalist and a…read morelifetime gardener I have been to dozens of gardens across the UK and Great Dixter stands head and shoulders above 95% of them. One or two are very good but this place is awesome! the setting of course, adds superb theatre to the place but the sheer vibrant, luxuriant, generous content of the place is something to behold. We visited in July and the whole garden was billowing out to greet us in wave after wave of colour, scent and form. Many of the smaller garden areas would make fabulous small urban gardens as they stand but linked together the whole place is magical. I cannot reccomend it enough. Go now! p.s. there's a small cafe there too.

The botanic gardens here aren't huge, but they're fun and relaxing. There are some nice strolls…read morearound the grounds, plus interesting greenhouses with a large variety of flowers and greenery to enjoy. The admission is slightly steep for what you get, but worth at least one visit.

Lovely. This…read moregarden is charmingly well laid-out and really genuinely inviting. The gift shop is full of lovely little items and there is a cafe. The feel in the gardens is really restful. That having been said, the plants are well-labelled and the displays are really informative.

Beautiful nature, wonderful views and a well maintained park. The cost can be a bit much without a…read moremembership but it's worth it: a great experience all around.

Wisley is amazing and gorgeous. I cannot imagine the amount…read moreof water they must use to keep the gardens looking so glorious. Important in the summer heat: take the complimentary shuttle to the top and walk down. You'll be so glad you did. Ask at the entrance where to catch it and it'll drop you at the top by the new building. Staggering up in the pounding heat is miserable. Climbing to the roof, anticipating a breathtaking view is pointless if it's summer. Do it after the leaves have fallen or you'll get a big fat view of tree, as well as heatstroke. (The lift was broken today.) Well worth it.

This place is well hidden, but well worth the detour if you are after a quiet stroll and some peace…read moreand quiet. The car park used to be free, but they have recently installed pay-and-display, so be careful you don't get caught out with these new charges. They do have a lovely cafe that does some nice home made cakes and simple food, and a wonderful enclosed courtyard where you can sit outside in the fresh air. There are even a few plant stalls in the courtyard selling some of the plants you'll see in the gardens, a very nice touch. Another non-garden element worth noting are the toilets. Very clean, easy access and even a baby changing area - nicely done, and well appreciated. As for the gardens, they were featured on Gardeners World in 2014 for their Daffodil and bluebell meadow, so that is worth jaunt to see, and they also have quite a large and ornate veg patch that is beautiful in Spring and Summer - see the picture of the covered runner bean tunnel. Nice ponds, chicken coops, trellised areas etc. A lovely place for a day in the slow lane.

I really like Polesden Lacey for its lovely grounds. You can have a picnic, hike trails, and…read moregenerally just bask in the sun (when there is sun). I can't remember if I've been in the house itself. I think not, actually. I just go for the enjoyment of walking around the grounds and seeing the beautiful views. Bring kids. There's a ton of space for them to run around. There are so many great trees to climb, plus great trails to walk and an area to sit down and eat your packed lunch. The one thing, if you bring kids, is that the toilets are on the far, far, far side of the property from all the outdoorsy hiking stuff. So if a little one has a sudden need, you're not going to make it.

This has a cool house with so many rooms with stories to tell. The amount of china and porcelain…read morecollectibles that have been gained over the years was amazing to see. The grounds and garden were great to walk around and see. The staff there are very helpful and just always there to answer the question that you may have. The historic facts that told by the guides really make you feel you know the past to the present. DB