GARDENS

The walled courtyard garden, safely gated for young children and dogs, is a wonderful

south-facing sunspot with its large lawns and paved terraces.

 

There's more than enough seating for 16 if you want to eat outside, a large gas-fired BBQ if you want to

sizzle some steaks, and a 7-seater hot tub with its own terrace.

Kingston Manor is in a “Dark Skies” zone, so if you look up at night (perhaps from the hot tub!), you will be astonished by the thousands and thousands of bright twinkling stars you never knew were there.

If you want a bit of peace during the day, sit by the medieval carp pond and contemplate life, wander to the end of the formal garden and read a book in the arbour, or hide by the lake and watch what its wildlife gets up to.

The lower lawns are huge enough for children to run off a lot of steam, and very inviting if you feel like playing croquet, badminton, football or French cricket. Wild herbs and fruit trees are scattered all around, so feel free to pick yourselves some mint, or gather some pears, damsons, blackberries, sloes, figs, elderberries, mulberries or meddlars. 

In the Games Barn across the courtyard, there’s table football, a full-size snooker table and a huge indoor area to play in, be it with scooters, skittles, balls and bats or just running around. A bit of a life-saver for the young if it's raining.