Westbury Court Garden is the only restored Dutch-style water garden in the country, laid out between 1696 and 1705 for Maynard Colchester and brought back by the National Trust from his own account books. The house was demolished long ago, but the Long Canal, clipped hedges, orchards of pre-1700 fruit varieties and productive plots survive, and the Tall Pavilion displays Johannes Kip's 1707 engravings. There is also a holm oak reputed to be the oldest in the country and the Trust's largest collection of black poplars. Reviewers praise the friendly staff and the big koi carp in the canals, which children can feed, and many bring a picnic for the picnic area over the small bridge. Tips from visitors: there is no cafe, so bring food and drink, and the entrance car park is small, with more spaces up the drive and in the lay-by. Dogs go on short fixed leads; the canals are unfenced.
