Wentworth Castle Gardens

Wentworth Castle Gardens near Barnsley is South Yorkshire's only Grade I registered landscape, begun by Thomas Wentworth after a cousin inherited Wentworth Woodhouse in 1695 and he set out to outdo him; his wealth was tied to empire and the slave trade through the Treaty of Utrecht he helped negotiate. Sixty acres of gardens and 500 acres of parkland hold Stainborough Castle, the gothic folly completed in 1731, the Victorian Conservatory restored in 2013, the lime avenue of Lady Lucy's Walk, a deer herd and bluebell woods in May. The house is Northern College and closed except on occasional volunteer-led tours. Families get a play fort and zip wire, and dogs are welcome on short leads. Reviewers single out the deer, the rhododendrons and the friendly staff. Tips from regulars: parking is free with a grass overflow, the walk up to the castle is a steady climb, and a buggy shuttle runs from reception.