Hedgecourt

The lake at Hedgecourt sits in proper Surrey countryside, about a mile outside Lingfield. It's a working estate with a medieval moat-turned-ornamental water feature, and the whole thing feels genuinely lived-in rather than preserved-in-aspic.

You can walk the grounds, and there's something quite peaceful about it - the water reflects the trees, swans potter about, and you get a real sense of how these places evolved from practical defensive structures into something rather more romantic. The house itself isn't always open to visitors, so check ahead, but the grounds alone are worth an hour's wandering if you're in the area.

Family groups with primary-school kids will get more out of it than teenagers glued to their phones. Historians will appreciate the medieval bones of the place, even if the Victorian prettification has softened things considerably. It's the sort of spot you'd combine with a walk across the Surrey border rather than make a special trip for.

If you're staying at Glamping at Long Acres or the caravan park nearby - both within shouting distance - Hedgecourt makes a gentle morning outing before heading into Lingfield proper for lunch. Free to access the grounds, though donations are appreciated. Allow ninety minutes, maybe two hours if you're the type to actually sit and sketch. Go midweek if you can; weekends bring the day-trippers from London.