Sarah Raven Perch Hill Farm

Sarah Raven's garden at Perch Hill is the sort of place that makes you understand why someone would spend decades perfecting a plot of land. Near Battle in Sussex, this working farm and garden belongs to the florist and food writer, and it's genuinely one of those visits that changes how you think about growing things.

What you're actually doing here is walking through a proper working garden - not a museum piece, but somewhere that produces flowers for her business and vegetables for the table. The planting is clever without being showy. Herbaceous borders that know what they're doing, cutting gardens bursting with dahlias and cosmos, polytunnels where the real work happens. If you're into plants, you'll spend hours here. If you're not, you might spend two.

Really it's for keen gardeners and anyone who writes about food. Families with small children might find it a bit slow unless they're the type to let them loose in the fields. The farm itself has that proper Sussex working atmosphere - not a theme park version of rural life.

Visit during late summer when the cutting garden is at peak chaos. Spring's pleasant but nothing special. Pair it with Beech Estate Campsite just down the road for a weekend focused on growing things and local food - Battle itself has good food shops and the 1066 history if you want a break from horticulture.

Check ahead for opening dates and admission fees - it's not a regular attraction in the traditional sense.