NGS Garden

The National Garden Scheme gardens across Nottinghamshire offer something genuinely different from the usual park visit - they're private gardens opened to the public for charity, and you get proper access to spaces most people never see. You're walking through someone's life's work, basically, whether that's a half-acre cottage garden or sprawling grounds with mature trees and water features. The gardens change year to year since different properties open on different dates, so it's worth checking the NGS handbook before you travel.

This works brilliantly if you're the type who gets genuinely excited about border layouts, unusual plant varieties, or just seeing how other people have solved their garden problems. It's not a theme park - there's no gift shop, no café, no play equipment. You won't find screaming kids here, which means it's either perfect or completely wrong depending on what you need from a day out. Most gardens take an hour or two to properly walk around, though some take longer.

Stay at Janson Fishery just 1.1 miles away and you've got proper countryside on your doorstep without sacrificing convenience. Gunthorpe Camping is also nearby at 4.7 miles if you prefer a slightly bigger site. Both let you spend mornings exploring these gardens and afternoons doing whatever else Nottinghamshire has to offer - Nottingham itself is close enough for a day trip.

Admission is usually modest - a few quid per garden - with proceeds going to nursing and health charities. Go in spring or summer when everything's actually flowering rather than sleeping.