Twenty acres of ornamental gardens just east of Oxford, with some of the finest herbaceous borders in England. Waterperry is the sort of place where a quick visit quietly turns into a whole afternoon, especially once you've found the tea shop.
Waterperry has been a working garden for the better part of a century, and you can feel it. The borders are planted with real depth and confidence: long, generous sweeps of colour that change completely through the seasons. The famous Mary Rose Garden sits at the heart of the grounds, surrounded by old apple trees and perennial beds that hum with bees in summer. Beyond the formal areas there are riverside walks, wildflower meadows and a Saxon church tucked into one corner. The plant centre is excellent (and dangerous, if you have any garden space at home), and the gallery usually has something worth a look.
We tend to visit in late June or July when the borders are at their peak, but Waterperry runs a full calendar of events through the year: art exhibitions, craft fairs, and their famous autumn show. The tea shop does proper lunches and good cake, with tables outside overlooking the gardens. It's about forty minutes from the cottage, an easy drive through Woodstock and along the edge of Oxford. If you're combining it with a day in the city, it works perfectly as a first or last stop.
“The herbaceous borders in July are genuinely some of the best I've seen anywhere. And the plant centre always costs me more than I planned.”
All of this on the doorstep, and your own thatched cottage to come home to. Sleeps seven, less than a mile from Soho Farmhouse.