8 of the best British gardens you can visit year round

This year we’ve really learnt to appreciate getting outdoors and we’ve taken comfort and found inspiration in the best British gardens around.

To make up for the countless hours we’ve been cooped up inside, many partners of Visit Heritage are now opening up their amazing grounds and gardens year round. Enjoy the fresh air and admire the changing seasons that Britain has to offer with these historic gardens.

For more on gardens – from advice to garden tours, go straight to our dedicated page.

1. Sezincote, Gloucestershire

The truly unique Sezincote is an exciting, one-of-a-kind garden.

Situated in the heart of the Cotswolds, you find a 200 year of Indian palace, with gardens to match. Expect a romantic and exotic mixture of waterfalls, temples and grottoes. 

2. High Beeches Woodland and Water Garden, Sussex

A garden that's especially vibrant in the fall is the colorful High Beeches.  

Surrounding the calm water garden is a collection of sensitively planted rare trees and shrubs, many of which are currently ablaze with fiery color.

3. Stanway House and Water Garden, Gloucestershire

If you're in the West Country, take advantage of the local beauty of Stanway House and its gardens. 

The 18th Century Water Garden is particularly impressive, boasting the tallest gravity fountain on earth, at an impressive 300ft tall. There's also a grand canal and a pyramid cascade to wonder at.

4. Chartwell, Kent

Chartwell is not only a wonderful example of a Kentish manor, but it was also home to Winston Churchill.

The garden and the lakes that Churchill created are very naturalistic and sympathetic to the surrounding landscape. Don't miss the Walled Garden for a hit of classic British charm.

5. Temple Newsam, West Yorkshire

Over 1500 acres of Leeds parkland make up Temple Newsam, and alongside the Tudor-Jacobean mansion and rare breed farm are the spectacular gardens.

For a historical moment, take a look through the formal south garden, an example of 17th Century garden design, featuring a pleached hornbeam walk, laburnum arches and box hedges.

6. Ickworth House, Suffolk

Bury St Edmond's Italianate garden at Ickworth was one of the first of its kind in Britain, displaying the perfect blend of classical Italian design with a touch of English individualism. 

Make sure to factor in time to take a wander around the pleasure grounds, surrounded by fragrant Mediterranean herbs, grasses and perennials.

7. Belmont House, Kent

The well-kept gardens of Belmont contain all you could ask for from an English garden. 

Amongst the 14 acres of parkland are delights including a pinetum, a kitchen garden with its own Victorian greenhouses and an ornamental walled garden. 

8. Kentwell Gardens, Suffolk

For a romantic day out, head to the over 30 acres of tranquility at Kentwell.

The giant cedars and walled gardens are popular favorites, however the glistening moats and garden architecture are also truly special. 

All properties featured are in Hudson's Guide, published by Visit Heritage, which is a great resource for discovering historic houses, gardens and places to stay throughout the UK.