Itineraries

The Beauty of an English Country Garden

The English love their gardens and they bloom in spectacular abundance around North East England.

You don't have to venture far before  finding a horticultural oasis in the grounds of a splendid mansion, castle or country estate. 

From the quintessentially English hidden glories of Howick Hall, Crook Hall and Whalton Manor to one of Europe's great contemporary gardens - The Alnwick Garden. 

Each contains gems of history and outdoor wonders, like the deer park at Raby Castle or the huge pre-Raphaelite paintings hanging in the 13,000 acre estate of Wallington Hall. 

Cragside was the revolutionary home of Lord Armstrong, the Victorian inventor and landscape genius. It is crammed with ingenius gadgets (most of them still working) and also boasts one of the largest rock gardens in Europe. 

The Alnwick Garden has the world's largest wooden tree house and the 38 swirling waterfalls of the Grand Cascade make up the UK's biggest water feature. It is set against the backdrop of Alnwick Castle, which is best known for starring as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films and most recently in Downton Abbey. 

Belsay Hall is home to a magnificent building inspired by the temples of ancient Greece and its extensive grounds are packed with an impressive array of shrubs and flowers. 

Did you know...? Cragside was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity - the recently restored system powers its 350 light bulbs.