Glory of the gardens

For Arley Hall, read Shangri La. It’s out there somewhere, but it’s extremely difficult to find. Sat nav? Forget it. Use a decent map and follow the signs, even when they appear to be leading you astray and off into the Cheshire countryside.

The effort required on this voyage of discovery will be worth it because among the many hidden gems of gardening, Arley must be one of the finest.

The first time I went it was raining. Pouring. Deluging. I turned around and went to the nearby Bents nursery. Warmer, drier but packed with plants and apparently very popular with visitors from Yorkshire as a Sunday breakfast venue.

Food aside, it was back to Arley. The second time I went, the sun was out and the sky was blue. So I stayed and had a look around. I have to admit that it was worth it – unlike many stately home gardens, Arley is pushing the boundaries with more plantings, particularly in the woodland where semi-wild gardening is the forte. Start at the pleached lime avenue, and then take a stroll through a variety of garden accessible off the Furlong Walk, the lengthy terrace which separates the house from the parkland. There’s the intimately beautiful flag garden, the magnificent herbaceous border, the Rose Garden, the imposing Ilex Avenue, the heron-plagued Fish Garden, The Rootery rock garden, The Kitchen Garden, Vinery, Grove and the unforgettable Walled Garden.

Arley is a garden of gardens, filled with scent in spring, colour in summer and autumn. If you’re looking for somewhere different, somewhere to escape from the crowds, go mid-week when there are quiet corners surrounded by plants and where the air is filled with the fragrance of thousands of flowers.

The sun may not always shine on the gardens at Arley Hall, but when it does, it is well worth the journey.

Arley Hall, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 6NA. www.arleyhallandgardens.com 01565 777353.