Stone Lane Gardens and tree nursery

Stone Lane Gardens sits just outside Exeter, and it's one of those places that creeps up on you. You arrive expecting a tree nursery - which it is - but walk through and you realise you're actually in someone's proper horticultural obsession made real. The gardens themselves are genuinely lovely, with specimen trees planted with real knowledge and care rather than just shoved in for effect.

What you're getting here is part working nursery, part display garden. Trees are everywhere - some mature, some young, all tagged and clearly someone's pride. It appeals most to serious gardeners, landscape designers, and anyone who actually knows their Acer from their Betula. If you're the sort who gets excited about unusual cultivars or rare specimens, you'll lose hours here. Families with little ones might find it a bit quiet after half an hour, but older kids interested in plants will do well.

The setting just north of Exeter makes it a sensible half-day stop if you're touring the area. Woodland Springs Touring Park and Barley Meadow are both within a couple of miles, so it's easy to slot in between pitching and exploring the city proper. Spring's the obvious choice if you want to see things in growth, but summer's pleasant enough if you don't mind the crowds at nearby attractions.

It's quiet, it's green, and it scratches a particular itch. Not for everyone, but for the right person - absolutely worth the detour.