Hestercombe Gardens

The gardens at Hestercombe, just outside Bridgwater, are split across three distinct periods of design - Victorian, Edwardian, and contemporary. It's genuinely clever how they've kept each era separate so you can actually see the shift in taste over time rather than everything blending into one confusing mass.

The Edwardian section is the main draw. Edwin Lutyens designed the bones and Gertrude Jekyll handled the planting, which means the bones are mathematical and the flowers are absolutely lush. You'll spend a solid two hours here if you're properly looking, longer if you're the type who reads every label.

It's proper rewarding for garden enthusiasts and keen photographers - the water features and stone work photograph brilliantly in afternoon light. Families with young children might find it a bit quiet and formal; there's not much to do if you're seven and restless. Walkers will appreciate the grounds without being blown away.

The site works brilliantly as part of a longer Somerset Levels break. You're close enough to Ashe Farm Caravan and Camping Site and Cornish Farm Touring Park that you could base yourself at either and do Hestercombe as an afternoon outing. Check their website for opening hours and admission prices before you go - they do charge entry but it's worth budgeting for if you're keen on gardens.

Go in late spring or early summer when the herbaceous borders are actually bursting.