Sublime 18th century parkland along the river Nore is embellished with mature and stately stands of oak, lime and chestnut, providing an appropriate setting for the great house which is now a hotel. The extensive walled gardens, where a quiet and calm old-world atmosphere lingers still, has lawns, flowering shrubs and double herbaceous borders which are approached through a moon gate. From early summer to late autumn these provide a changing pageant of flowers and a spectacle of colour. There is a formal rose garden and near the drive an informal rockery and a water garden where a range of moisture-loving plants are presided over by the great umbrellas of the giant Amazonian Gunnera manicata. Read more …