What is it?
A garden commonly refers to the outdoors area that comes with a regular suburban house, but the term covers almost any area set aside for the enjoyment of the outdoors and nature.
What does it involve?
Gardens can involve both natural and man made materials, and can have many uses. Variants include things such as zoos (which were formerly called zoological gardens) which display animals in replicated natural habitats, or indoor gardens with controlled environments to grow certain plants; however, the main purpose of any garden is to provide enjoyment for those within it, and a walk within a garden generally involves relaxation and fun!
Why do it and what are the benefits?
Gardens are great for taking a break in and relaxing for a while, but students (especially the younger ones) will thoroughly enjoy exploring some of the larger and more complex gardens out there! It's also a nice and safe way to get in touch with nature, as most plants and animals you happen across in a garden environment were put there on purpose and will be harmless.
What equipment do we need?
You shouldn't need any equipment for taking students to a garden apart from maybe a picnic!
Who is it suitable for?
Although generally suitable for all ages, younger children may get bored quickly if there's nothing to do! Sitting and relaxing are pursuits you only really partake in as you reach early adulthood, so make sure younger groups have garden games to enterain them, or something similar.
Costs?
Some of the more elaborate gardens you can visit may have an entry fee, but this will usually be a relatively small cost.
Issues/Things to think about? (unsuitable for age groups, medical conditions etc)
Because gardens can be physically huge and with many places to hide, large groups of younger children will need careful supervision - especially if there are ponds or lakes nearby.
How do we include?
Since this activity pretty much just involves enjoying being outdoors, it should be relatively easy for you to include everybody!
Doing it abroad?
Some of the most impressive gardens in the world are located abroad, and can take days to explore their secrets!
Main website:
This section of the National Trust website has some great information and recommendations, but always check individual websites for venue specifics.
This half-timbered Jacobean farmhouse, transformed by the de Rothschilds towards the end of the 19th century, now houses an exceptional collection of paintings, fine furniture and superb oriental porcelain.
The extensive gardens are an attractive mix of formal and natural, with specimen trees and shrubs and some unusual features.
Discover the haunting echoes of the past at Barrington Court, a Tudor manor house free from collections and furniture. Explore using your imagination and your senses to discover a house full of memories, where light fills the rooms and you feel you can almost touch the past.
Tunnels, winding paths, a Cheshire cottage that turns into an Egyptian tunnel, fish to feed, a Chinese temple, trees to discover and a new woodland walk to play in and explore.
Best known for its comprehensive herb collection and traditional fruit orchards, Acorn Bank is a tranquil haven with a fascinating industrial past. Indulge yourself at the tea-room, where culinary herbs and fruit from the garden are used daily in soups, salads and puddings.
This unique sixteen-sided house was described by Lucinda Lambton as having 'a magical strangeness that one might dream of only as a child'.
It was built for two spinster cousins, Jane and Mary Parminter, on their return from a grand tour of Europe in the late 18th century. It contains many objects and mementoes of their travels.
The Brownes of Townend in the Troutbeck Valley were just an ordinary farming family: but their home and belongings bring to life more than 400 years of extraordinary stories. As you approach Townend - a traditional Lake District stone and slate farmhouse, you'll understand why Beatrix Potter described Troutbeck Valley as her favourite.
The garden, complete with working kitchen garden and orchard, lies in the charming village of Tintinhull, Somerset. Glittering pools, secluded lawns, colourful borders and clipped hedges provide the perfect spot to relax and unwind away from the hustle and bustle.
Bordered by the River Wye, The Weir sits within unspoilt Herefordshire countryside and has many historical secrets to uncover. For centuries this site has been used as a pleasure ground for fishing, boating and swimming. It is managed in a natural way to create a varied habitat for wildlife.
An intimate family home, the history of The Vyne spans the centuries. From its royal beginnings in Tudor times to its place today as a intriguing retreat for you to explore, you can lose yourself in the surroundings that inspired great authors such as Jane Austen.
Norbury Manor, former seat of the Fitzherbert family, is just a short drive from Sudbury Hall and Kedleston Hall near Derby. The hall is a very rare example of a medieval hall built on the first floor, once forming part of the private apartments of the Fitzherbert family.
Full of variety, this charming garden shows the English country style at its best.
Peaceful water gardens and herbaceous borders, with organically shaped topiary, demonstrate an imaginative use of colour and planting, creating unexpected vistas.
Stroll through the arboretum with its wonderful species of trees and naturally planted spring bulbs.
Built in the 1820s, this handsome Irish gentry house is surrounded by its 320-acre wooded riverside estate. The former home of the MacGeough Bond family, a tour of this Neo-classical masterpiece reveals it is unchanged since 1900. The eclectic interior still evoking the family's tastes and interests.
Handsome town house, with architectural features from various eras and a riverside walled garden.
For nearly 400 years the estate was the property of the Egerton family until it was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1958. It is now financed and maintained by Cheshire East Council. This is one of the most complete historic estates open to visitors.
Tucked away on the edge of Wellington is this rare suburban villa and mini-estate. As you walk up the large avenue of Wellingtonia trees the red-brick villa is unexpectedly revealed offering a chance to immerse yourself in a past era.
Late 17th-century house with lavish interiors and the Museum of Childhood
A normally sedate trip made grand with their free children's activity packs, full of ideas to discover wildlife and nature in the gardens.
Stowe Landscape Gardens offer great children's activity packs, full of ideas to discover wildlife and nature in the gardens and help keep their interest going.
Built as a summer home by Arts and Crafts architect-designer Ernest Gimson for his brother Sydney, Stoneywell zigzags from its rocky outcrop, amid rhododendrons and heather. Every turn conjures childhood memories of holiday excitement, dashing down the winding steps –– one way to the fort, the other to the woods beyond.
15th-century half-timbered yeoman's house, featuring a great hall and surrounded by glorious garden, orchard and meadows.
A perfect example of a Wealden Hall-House, it is full of beautiful collections of furniture, wood and metal work.
Wonderful woodland walks over the Otham Valley can begin from here.
Tynemouth Castle and Priory on the coast of North East England was once one of the largest fortified areas in England. Overlooking the North Sea and the River Tyne, it dominates the headland. With its 2000 year history and beautiful views it is the perfect location for a family fun day out.
James and Margaret Beale chose an idyllic location with views across the Sussex countryside for their rural retreat. Designed by Philip Webb, the house is one of the finest examples of Arts and Crafts workmanship, with Morris & Co. interiors creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The house is dressed for a weekend stay in 1925, so you can imagine you are a guest of the family.
Set in the Darenth Valley, the rare surviving chapel is the only remaining structure of the Preceptory of the Knights Hospitallers of the Order of St John of Jerusalem formed in 1113.
Experience the beguiling spirit of this inimitable 17th-century 'Plantation' home, with its walled gardens and parkland, full of tempting waymarked paths. There are ten generations of Lenox-Conyngham family tales to enthrall you, as well as numerous portraits and much furniture to admire and not forgetting Ireland's most-documented ghost: Olivia.
Speke Hall is a rare Tudor timber-framed manor house in a most unusual setting on the banks of the River Mersey. Restored and brought back to life in the 19th century, it is a unique and beautiful mixture of Tudor simplicity and Victorian Arts and Crafts' aesthetics.
The Bushcraft Company offer residential school trips with a difference, taking students into the wild and giving them real back-to-nature experiences they will never forget.
A 15-year-old boy fell 60ft over the edge of a cliff whilst on a geography school trip, miraculously only suffering minor injuries.