Somebody give me some air. I need to roam free, be at one with my inner wolf and spread my wings…read more Enough caffeine already, I think I need some glorious outdoor openness and Harlow Carr is just the ticket. This is a premiere place for garden lovers' and people who just love beautiful spaces. The Royal Horticultural Society knows how to craft a garden or two and this is no exception. It's like a not so secret Secret Garden with delectable flower displays, a mass of planting and thoughtful and provoking gardening techniques. And this is someone infusing who manages to kill cacti. They also try to blend in to the surroundings and have more than a passing consideration for the environment and how to sustain it. The relatively new Alpine Zone introduces loads of species to the visitor and they also have an Education Centre where you can find out about a wealth of plant related topics. Also check out the website regularly to see what events are heading to the centre. A real gem and an absolute must for anyone who has even stepped into a garden, let alone adores them.

These are beautiful gardens to visit. Crocus & Snowdrops, Rhododendrons & Camelias, Streams &…read moreWaterfalls with masses of Candelabra Primula, colourful herbaceous borders, Alpine houses, wonderful metal Scuptures and more. Easy to spend a day here, make sure you take the camera & comfortable shoes !! Plenty of benches dotted about. There is a smashing tea rooms with great selection of cakesand an area for more substantial meals. An interesting gift shop, plant centre and a Cake & Chocolate shop. It does get busy particularly in the tea rooms so try & visit off peak if you can. Open all day except Christmas. Around £6.50 entrance fee.

Shugborough is a charming estate with a lively house. We came here often in my childhood, and it…read morehas been well kept the grounds house events such as classic car shows and charming sculpture walks. The courtyard host coffee shops and ice cream, and I live the bridges. The passing bridge is still a favourite for pooh sticks even though I'm a fully grown woman. Nice place, great for a picnic too. PS, its a cracking place to collect conkers!

Shugborough Hall is a National Trust Property located in Stafford. The location and the Christmas…read moremarket event they were holding on the weekend made it the perfect place for the annual Jewellery Quarter residents trip (yes, I am of an age that I go on Coach trips). I have vague memories of maybe visiting this place in the depths of time gone by, although with most National Trust properties - they are much of a muchness. Once you've seen one stately home you kinda get the gist. As you would expect, it's pretty impressive. The driveway must be nearly a mile long to get to the property (and is a little dicey, so be prepared to close your eyes if you're an insecure passenger) and the place is surrounded by rolling green fields. I would imagine in the summer you might see deer (or at least cattle) strolling around as you approach the house. The house itself is pretty magnificent. Some of it's buildings are constructed in what I imagine to be sandstone and the main building is bright white and looks very well kept. There is plenty of parking to be had on site and as well as the house there are gorgeous gardens, a tea room a gift shop and all of the facilities you would expect from a National Trust property. The Christmas event is wonderful. As well as numerous market stalls under cover at the front of the building with lots of craft and local produce, there was live music and food being served all through the day. Once we had gotten in to the market, we grabbed a hot food and a warm drink and began to plan our day. The market had a great selection of gifts to be had! Everything from handmade toys, jewellery, clothing and food was on offer for very reasonable prices. We picked up some great presents (and a little something for me, of course) and had a really nice time chatting to the stall holders who explained how everything was made and where ingredients etc were sourced from. The inside of Shugborough had been specially with a "Christmas by candlelight" theme. Only the downstairs was open (apparently the upstairs is open normally) and all of the rooms were decorated with gorgeous bouquets of flowers, candles and decked out with Christmas trinkets. The staff were also wearing the clothing of the era and were on hand to answer any questions about the house, the history or anything in the rooms. Entrance for an adult to get into both the hall and the market was £8 in advance. I felt this was a fair price to have a look around the house, the gardens and the markets. Obviously a lot of effort goes into making everything look just right for the occasion and it felt very festive. I would recommend a visit to Shugborough during the Christmas event or at any point in the year if you're a fan of stately homes. The gardens must look magnificent in the Summer when everything is in bloom, but even in winter we had a lovely wander around admiring them. I would recommend the hall as a nice afternoon out for the family.

The park and the buildings are very beautiful. They really turn back the time…read more The botanical gardens are open now and are very nice but not very big. There are several fairs are held in the Pavilion Gardens such as the Fine Food Fairs, Farmers' Markets, Art & Craft Fairs, Antique Fairs, etc. Also the tourism information center is there.

As the website and the entrance signs say - Pavilion Gardens is a 'great free family day out.'…read more This historic park is situated in the centre of Buxton and is constantly full of locals walking dogs or taking their children out to play as well as a variety of tourists, from families on a day out, cyclists taking a short break to photographers and artists wanting to capture a slice of nature. There is a pay and display car park at one side of the gardens, however as it is centrally located you can easily walk to it from most hotels and the town centre. For tourists new to the area, there is a Tourist Information Centre which will provide you with lots of information about Buxton and the surrounding Peak District area. Hundred of events are held within the gardens over the year, mainly located in the Octagon Hall. These included farmers markets and fetes etc. during my visit a few weekends ago there was an Art based festival taking place where clothing, photographs, jewellery, furniture and other art works were being displayed and some offered for sale. For those searching for a little more fun suitable for the younger generations, there is a large park fully equipped with swings and slides as well as a miniature train which offers rides around one section of the park. If you're wanting to stop for a short refreshment break there are plenty of places to pick from, including outside and inside cafes serving both hot and cold food as well as ice creams. On my next trip to Buxton I will definitely be heading back here as there was plenty of things I didn't get to see.

Our family love it here. Something for everyone. Kids love the ice cream, and we like wandering…read morearound the garden centre. Good place to kill a few hours on a wet afternoon.

Great place to go for lunch - pleasant walk around the lake to the cafe. Prefect spot outside on a…read moresunny day! Take my Nan here most Tuesday's. The staff are really friendly and the food is really good. My favourite is the cheese and bacon staffordshire oatcakes (like savoury pancakes). Although everything else is good too.

Another way of escaping the city in Leicester. Most of my escape places are also free…read more The Hall (Grade II* listed) is in the midst of two acres of serene walled gardens that are open to the public. The gardens were an important aspect of the Hall in Victorian times (a status symbol that showed the family's wealth). Belgrave Hall provides an oasis of peace and quiet in a busy city. It was built in the early 18th century, in what was then a small village 3 miles from the town of Leicester. Now city traffic passes, almost unnoticed, just beyond the garden walls. In its current role as a museum, the rooms have been designed to appear as they may have been decorated and used in Victorian times, with the contrasting lifestyles of an upper middle class family and domestic servants. This period was when the Ellis family was resident. The beautifully laid out natural room settings create the feeling of having just missed the occupants of the house. Edmund Cradock, a 'nouveau riche' hosiery merchant, built the Hall between 1709 and 1713 and died soon after its completion. Ellis and his wife Priscilla moved to the Hall with eight of their eleven children seven daughters and their youngest son. The family lived there with their servants the cook, housekeeper, parlour maid,aid-of-all-work, coachman and gardener. The Ellis sisters bought the Hall from their brother in 1868, after he inherited it from their father. Upon the death of the last remaining Ellis sister in 1923, the Hall was sold. Little is known of the next owners, the Simons. The Vann's who lived there from 1767 to 1844, ran a thriving hosiery business from the Hall, employing the local framework knitters as outworkers. They gave generously to many local charities, including Leicester's first free school. John Ellis, who purchased Belgrave Hall in 1845 and his family were also noted for their good work in the community. Ellis, a wealthy businessman, was responsible for bringing the railways to Leicester in 1833. In 1936, the estate was sold to Leicester City Council for £10,500 around a third of its actual value. A number of statues and monuments from lost gardens in Leicestershire are now situated within the gardens. The rock and water garden, botanic garden, eco garden and glasshouses compliment the older, formal grounds. Refurbishment work carried out in 2005 included improved access to the gardens. The rooms show how a house of the period worked in great detail. Free admission.

Most reviews of Notcutts online are actually reviews of the cafe at Notcutts but that's really a…read moreside point of this major garden centre which stocks a huge range of plants, gardening equipment and garden furniture and also features a ProCook concession and a farm shop. Oh and there's a guinea pig corner. It's all worth the day out and although I suspect it's pricier than other garden centres you can get some very fancy equipment to encourage yourself to get into the garden - e.g. we'd been holding out for a vintage looking watering can and there was a good selection here. Also if you want a strange sculpture for your garden or a large range of quality tat for your house, you will be well-served.

Scampston Land was bought in the late 1600s for William Hustler. The estate was bought in the…read more1690s by Sir William St Quintin, 3rd Baronet, who was Receiver General for Ireland and Member of Parliament for Hull. The estate and title were inherited in 1723 by his nephew -- also William -- who was MP for Thirsk. The first house was built around 1700 and was remodelled to a design by Thomas Leverton in 1795-1800. This is the house as you see it today, with its magnificent Regency interiors and art collection Capability Brown landscaped the gardens in 1772.Scampston's refurbished Walled Garden, designed by Piet Oudolf, opened in 2004. There is an onsite cafe, plant sale and an enthusiastic tour of the house which features some fantastic family portraits by Gainsborough. The house decor is tasteful and the wallpaper and paint highlight these portraits very well.