Lytes Cary Manor

Lytes Cary Manor is a small medieval manor house near Somerton, home of the Lyte family and of Henry Lyte, whose 16th-century English translation of the Niewe Herball, a book of herbal remedies, is on show inside. The chapel of 1348 predates the house, and the manor was rescued from decay in the early 20th century by Sir Walter Jenner, when the Arts and Crafts-style garden of topiary, herbaceous borders, croquet lawn and orchard took shape. Barn owls roost in the cattle houses alongside, and three waymarked walks cross the 350-acre estate to the River Cary, with a natural play trail on the wooded White Walk. Dogs are welcome on the estate and in the tea-room courtyard only. Reviewers like the homely scale, the friendly volunteers and the tea-room's pasties. Tips from visitors: parking is free, and the house keeps shorter hours than the garden, so check before you go.