Breaks away don’t come lovelier than this. Here are seven properties, from Devon to the Amalfi Coast, that are as picturesque on the outside as they are on the inside…
Borgo Pignano, Tuscany
The rambling estate includes a biodynamic kitchen garden that produces everything from the veg and honey used in the kitchen to the herbs which infuse the in-room soaps. The friendly gardeners are happy to share tips and knowledge, and often experiment with creating new vegetable varieties.
Langford Fivehead, Somerset
Langford Fivehead is a 15th-century country manor house turned gourmet retreat, with seven acres of parkland that encompass a small lake, an Edwardian pet graveyard, an Elizabethan knot garden, a herb-filled kitchen garden and a Victorian greenhouse. In summer, take an alfresco breakfast next to the swaying lavender or afternoon tea in the manicure garden with butterflies fluttering around. What’s more, it’s only a 35-minute drive to the famous folly-filled landscape gardens at Stourhead (to the east) and Hestercombe (to the west).
la Louvière, France
Children are welcome at this family-run guesthouse in a rural 18th-century manor, with gorgeous gardens created by owners Isabel and Alain (and featured in garden magazines). There are lime groves, rambling roses, colourful flower displays and meals are served using fruit, veg and herbs from the garden. Spend days picnicking on the lawn, swimming in the pool and hitting balls on the tennis court.
Cider House, Devon
At Cider House, the former home of Sir Francis Drake, now owned by the National Trust, guests get access to Buckland Abbey and its stunning gardens, while neighbouring village Buckland Monachorum is home to Garden House, regarded as one of the best gardens in the country.
Villa Cimbrone, Amalfi Coast
This Medieval palazzo perched above the sea has attracted the likes of Greta Garbo, E.M. Forster, Henry Moore, T. S. Eliot, Virginia Woolf, D.H. Lawrence and Churchill. Its world-famous gardens (designed by Lord Grimthorpe, of Big Ben fame) include avenues of umbrella pines, fragrant rose gardens, trellises dripping with wisteria, a belvedere fringed with marble busts, and even a pseudo-Roman temple. The gardens are open to the public during the day, but come evening overnight guests have the whole place to themselves.
Le Jardin des Douars, Morocco
At this laid-back countryside retreat just outside Essaouira, with lush botanical gardens that tumble down to a river, you’ll find ponds with terrapins and lily pads, colourful flowerbeds full of butterflies, hammocks strung between palm trees, and beds of fragrant herbs.
Chateau des Tesnières, Brittany
Set in 15 acres of parkland filled with flowers and fountains, Chateau des Tesnières is handy for exploring some of Brittany’s most beautiful gardens: the Chateau Boiscornillé (created by famous garden architects Denis Bühler and Edouard André), the Parc Botanique de Haute Bretagne (12 themed gardens, including a water garden and, a Chinese garden), Chateau de la Ballue and the botanic gardens at Chateau de Montmarin.
All hotels can be booked through www.i-escape.com
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