Forest bathing at Hergest Croft Gardens

Hergest Croft is a 70-acre garden on the edge of Kington, created and extended by five generations of the Banks family since the house was built in 1896. It holds around 5,000 specimens, with national collections of maples, birches and zelkovas and well over a hundred champion trees, the tallest or broadest of their kind in Britain and Ireland. The Azalea Garden is lined by an avenue of large conifers and has one of the country's largest handkerchief trees.

For a quieter visit, walk out to Park Wood, about 20 minutes from the house across the park and Haywood Common. It is a secluded valley where giant rhododendrons are reflected in a large pond, and it feels far removed from the formal garden. Spring brings daffodils, azaleas and magnolias; the maple and birch collections are an obvious reason to come in autumn. The gardens are seasonal: they close over winter and Park Wood shuts from November to February. Dogs on leads are welcome.