Idson Cottages

The cottage gardens at Idson are a proper slice of old Somerset - the sort of place where you half expect someone in a floral apron to emerge with a tray of Victoria sponge. Near Bridgwater, these gardens feel genuinely lived-in rather than manicured into submission, which is exactly why they work.

You're walking through what amounts to a series of interconnected garden rooms, each one revealing something different. There's the kitchen garden bit with vegetables growing alongside flowers, herbaceous borders that actually look seasonal rather than frozen in Instagram perfection, and the kind of quiet corners where you can properly hear yourself think. The planting favours abundance over restraint - roses tumbling over fences, self-seeding plants allowed to do their thing. It's gardening as it happens in real life, not a magazine spread.

Garden enthusiasts and serious plantspeople will get the most from a visit here. You're not looking at rare specimens or cutting-edge design; this is about how to make a space feel genuinely welcoming and productive. Families won't find much to keep children entertained for more than an hour or so - there are no play areas or gimmicks - but older kids interested in growing things will find it instructive.

If you're staying at Haven Burnham-on-Sea Holiday Village, Idson makes a gentle morning excursion before heading to the coast. Allow a good hour to wander properly. Ring ahead for opening times and admission charges before you visit.