Come in late spring for the rhododendrons and magnolias: Minterne is a wild Himalayan-style garden that fills a steep valley below the house at Minterne Magna, with streams, cascades and a lake threaded by winding paths. Autumn brings a second show of colour. It’s a garden to walk rather than a formal one to admire from a terrace. Paid seasonal entry; Chetnole station sits about 7km to the north-west.
