Top 10 beautiful gardens in and around Swindon this summer

2 No list of local and nearby public gardens would be complete without a prominent mention of Lydiard Park - www.lydiardpark.org.uk. The house and its 260 sweeping acres of grounds are justly regarded as a jewel among visitor attractions, and include an exquisitely restored Georgian flower and fruit garden. To stroll there is to gain an insight into how gardens were laid out in the 18th century.

3 Avebury Manor and Garden - www.nationaltrust.org.uk/avebury - has long been a favourite with lovers of beautiful green spaces. The garden has been recreated in what the National Trust describes as a series of ‘rooms’.

4 Bowood House and Gardens - www.bowood.org – is an all-in-one destination offering a hotel, spa and historic house. They lie in some 100 acres of Capability Brown parkland which retains its authentic layout and composition. Other attractions include a beautiful terrace garden, a large herbaceous border and an arboretum with hundreds of carefully-tended specimens.

5 Larmer Tree Gardens - www.larmertree.co.uk – at Salisbury are recognised by English Heritage as a garden of national importance. The gardens date from the late Victorian era, when they were laid out according to the specifications of General Augustus Pitt Rivers, whose archaeological collection formed the basis of Oxford University’s Pitt Rivers Museum.

6 Heale Garden - www.healegarden.co.uk – form the grounds of 16th century Heale House, near Salisbury, whose rich history includes providing refuge for the future King Charles II during his flight to France at the end of the English Civil War. The gardens are beautifully laid out, with plants carefully chosen to ensure beautiful displays reflecting the changing seasons. The website has full details of opening times.

7 Prior Park Landscape Garden - www.nationaltrust.org.uk/prior-park-landscape-garden - is one of Bath’s most popular open spaces. Unusually, it is praised as much for its architectural features as its landscape. Notably, it is home to one of the world’s only four surviving Georgian Palladian bridges. The beautiful structure, which complements the surrounding green space, was created under the influence not just of noted designer Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown but also that of poet Alexander Pope.

8 The grounds of historic Wilton House - www.wiltonhouse.co.uk – are an excellent destination in their own right, and a must for anybody with an interest in large English gardens and their development. Successive generations of owners remodelled the grounds according to their personal taste. A popular feature is the tranquil Japanese garden, with its picturesque bridge and authentic plants. There is also plenty of room elsewhere for exploration and relaxation, making the location ideal for visitors of all ages.

9 Malmesbury’s Abbey House Gardens – www.abbeyhousegardens.co.uk - are said to be the final resting place of Athelstan, first king of all England, although the precise location is unknown. Originally interred in the abbey, his remains were moved some time later. The gardens cover five acres and are home to thousands of individual plant species, and also hold the distinction of having been the subject of an entire episode of Gardeners’ World.

10 The garden at Stourhead - www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stourhead - in the south west of Wiltshire is one of the county’s most striking and beautiful. Set out around a lake in the 18th century, they are unmistakably of their era, and include a fine folly as well as a fascinating assortment of buildings, monuments and works of art.