Packwood House, near Solihull, looks like a Tudor manor but is largely the creation of Graham Baron Ash, who spent the 1920s and 30s filling a 16th-century farmhouse with salvaged panelling, tapestries and Jacobean furniture, before giving it to the National Trust in 1941. The result is an idealised Tudor home with a long gallery and a great hall made out of a former barn. Outside is the famous Yew Garden, begun in the 17th century by the Fetherston family and said to represent the Sermon on the Mount, its clipped yews climbing to a spiral path around the mound at the top. Reviewers also enjoy the pond, lake and kitchen garden, the plants for sale and the knowledgeable room staff. Tips from visitors: collect a timed house ticket at reception on arrival; there are steps into the Yew Garden, and the upper floors of the house can be viewed on a tablet if stairs are a problem; the cafe gets very busy; and Packwood pairs well with Baddesley Clinton, a few minutes' drive away.
