Discover a medieval house at a Cumbrian gateway

There’s something a bit incongruous about Sizergh Castle in the Lake District – or at least its gardens. While the 14th-century tower has turrets, battlements and everything you’d expect from something that was designed to defend nearby Kendal from attack – in the gardens it’s a very different (peaceful) story. The 1,600-acre estate has ancient woodland, pink cherry blossom and a boating lake, all of it oozing peace and tranquillity – especially in the spring.

There’s also an award-winning limestone rock garden (a great spot to gather your thoughts), and a pasture filled with wildflowers. Not exactly a sturdy defence against an advancing army. The castle is still lived in by the Stricklands and the homely feel of the gardens is reflected in the interiors, with comfy furnishings and the odd modern family snap inserted among the more formal Georgian portraits. Sizergh might be a little contradictory but to us it makes perfect sense.