ACES OF SPADES

Adele Cardani takes us on a tour of six of the loveliest green spaces you can visit, from the garden of England to up North

- Adele Cardani

With the sun well and truly shining, there’s nowhere better to be than one of Britain’s lush horticultural gems. From pristinely manicured palace grounds to rambling wildflower meadows, I’ve rounded up the loveliest green spaces for you to explore on your next day out or long weekend getaway.

Chatsworth Estate, Derbyshire

This 105-acre garden is the product of nearly 500 years of careful cultivation, by 17 generations of the Devonshire family. The landscape features sweeping lawns, grand waterworks, and historic sculptures, alongside a fragrant rose garden, dramatic rock garden, and a winding hedge maze.

A must-see for bibliophiles – it is believed that Jane Austen based her idea of Pemberley, the home of Mr Darcy, on Chatsworth House. As such, Chatsworth served as a backdrop for the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

Originally the site of a monastery, then a royal residence for Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, and now a fairytale wedding venue, Ashridge House is home to 190 acres of grade II registered historic gardens. Humphry Repton, the greatest landscape artist of his day, was commissioned to design the formal gardens, and they remain intact today as the finest surviving example of his work.