Batsford Arboretum

Just outside Moreton-in-Marsh, Batsford Arboretum is a 56-acre hillside woodland garden home to one of the largest private collections of trees in the country.

Paths wind through the trees past streams, waterfalls, a Japanese-style rest house and several bronze sculptures from the Far East. The arboretum is beautiful at any time of year: spring brings magnolias and flowering cherries, while autumn turns the hillside into a blaze of red, orange and gold, one of the best displays in the Cotswolds.

There are wide views across the Evenlode Valley, and the arboretum also has a garden centre, a gift shop and a terrace café that is perfect for a light lunch or cream tea.

Dogs on short leads are welcome, so it's a great outing for the whole family, four-legged members included.

Distance from Gardners Cottage: 9 miles / 15 minutes drive