Hatchlands Park

Hatchlands Park was built in the 1750s for Admiral Edward Boscawen, with ceilings and fireplaces from one of Robert Adam's earliest interior commissions. The house holds the Cobbe Collection, Europe's largest collection of keyboard instruments linked to composers including Chopin and Elgar; it is still a family home, so only the ground-floor rooms open, and only on afternoons in season. The parkland is the main draw: more than 400 acres partly landscaped by Humphry Repton, with waymarked walks through ancient woodland and a natural play area with a tree house and bug burrow. Two fostered donkeys live by the courtyard. Dogs are welcome across most of the park, on leads near livestock, but not in the house, formal garden or play area. Reviewers praise the friendly staff and the spring bluebells. Tips from regulars: the sat nav postcode can send you to the delivery entrance, so follow the brown signs, and the free car park is bumpy, with an overflow for busy days.