Tatton Park, Cheshire
This historic estate with 1,000 acres of deer park, plus rare breeds farm, Tudor Old Hall and 50 acres of gardens offers lots to do. Take a picnic and fish or sail on the twin meres. Events include outdoor art displays and talks on spring lambs.
· 01625 374400; www.tattonpark.org.uk. Adults £6, children £3
Aldeburgh Sandlings, Suffolk
Walk for miles along this wild Suffolk beach. An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it's a great place to blow away cobwebs. Aldeburgh town's seafront has changed little since Victorian times.
Chartwell, Westerham, Kent
The mansion and gardens of Sir Winston Churchill's home remain much as they were when he lived here. Guided tours take place on Wednesdays at 9.30am (except July and August) and cost £18.
· 01732 866368; www.nationaltrust.org.uk. Adults £10.10, children £5.60
Sharpe Edge Walk, Blencathra, Cumbria
Blencathra is an iconic mountain and the approach via Sharp Edge is difficult but stunning. The route from Scales Farm and back is five miles and particularly dramatic in bracing weather.
Holland Park, London
As a long-time Londoner I particularly love Holland Park in west London. It has woodlands and formal and informal gardens, with peacocks and squirrels. There are also tennis courts, an adventure playground and an ecology centre.
Blakeney Point, North Norfolk Coast
Blakeney Nature Reserve, owned by the National Trust, has great birdlife, and Blakeney Point is home to around 400 common and grey seals. Take a seal-watching trip with family-owned Bean boat trips.
· 01263 740038; www.beansboattrips.co.uk. Adult £7.50, child £4
RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, Surrey
Wisley offers 200 acres of horticultural heaven packed with inspiration for every gardener. There's a blaze of bulbs and blossom at this time of year and the Glasshouse is huge with three climatic zones and hundreds of plant species.
· 0845 260 9000; www.rhs.org.uk. Adults £8, children £2
Stourhead, Wiltshire
I lived here while working for the National Trust, but I need no excuses for nominating this 18th-century garden and mansion. It has fairytale romantic follies and wonderful woodland walks and the house is filled with treasures and paintings.
· 01747 841152; www.nationaltrust.org.uk. Adults £10.50, children £5.20
Hidcote, Gloucestershire
This renowned Arts & Crafts garden in the Cotswolds is an early forerunner of the idea of gardens as outdoor rooms, each with its own character with old roses, and plants and trees from around the world.
· 01386 438333; www.nationaltrust.org.uk. Adults £7.72, children £3.86
Hyde Hall, Essex
On a hilltop near Chelmsford, this RHS garden commands fantastic views. The wide skies make it perfect for flying kites. Run on ecological principles, the garden brims with wildlife.
· 01245 400256; www.rhs.org.uk. Adults £5, children £1.50
