Greenway, Devon

The Boathouse at Greenway lies on the banks of the River Dart and is one of the first sights to greet visitors who arrive by river, at the garden owned by Agatha Christie in the 1930s.

© NTPL / Andrea Jones

The Boathouse is 18th-century and has a long oak balcony for viewing the river and, beneath, a bath house that floods with the tide.

Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire

The Fishing Pavilion at Kedleston Hall is an integral part of the 18th-century park and one of the finest examples of the work of Scottish architect, Robert Adam.

© NTPL / Andrew Haslam

The Pavilion was built on the Upper Lake so that the owners and their guests could fish from the upper window protected from both sun and rain thus preserving their fashionably pale complexions.

Killerton, Devon

When Lydia Acland came from her honeymoon to Killerton in 1808, she was presented with a rustic ‘hermit’s hut’ – a surprise from her husband, Sir Thomas Acland.

© NTPL / Andrew Butler

It became known as ‘The Bear’s Hut’ as, in the 1860s, it housed her grandson’s pet black bear. The floor of one room is made of deer knucklebones.

Osterley Park, London

Osterley Park is one the great showcases of architect Robert Adam, whose influence can be seen in the garden.

© NTPL / Rupert Truman

He designed an orangery (which, sadly, caught fire in the Second World War), known as the ‘great green house to distinguish it from a smaller greenhouse – the Garden House built in 1780.

Shaw’s Corner, Hertfordshire

The writing hut at Shaw’s Corner was the retreat of George Bernard Shaw, who lived here from 1906 until his death in 1950.

© NTPL / Matthew Antrobus

It is hidden away at the bottom of the garden and is where the dramatist wrote some of his greatest works.

Sissinghurst, Kent

The Memorial Gazebo at Sissinghurst, built of Kentish weatherboard, was dedicated in 1969 to Sir Harold Nicolson (husband of Vita Sackville-West) by their sons, Ben and Nigel.

© NTPL / David Sellman

It stands by the moat and was used by Nigel Nicolson (who lived at Sissinghurst from 1930 until his death in 2004) as his private writing room.

Tatton Park, Cheshire

The Thatched Tea House is the centrepiece of the Japanese Garden at Tatton Park. It was commissioned by the 3rd Lord Egerton in 1910 and is one of the best examples of an English Edwardian interpretation of the Oriental style.

© NTPL / Derry Moore

The gardens have recently been restored to their original - if not authentic – state.

The Vyne, Hampshire

The Summerhouse at The Vyne dates to the early 1630s and was once part of a formal walled garden scheme.

© NTPL / Andrea Jones

It had a highly finished interior and was intended as a place for dining or relaxation in the garden. It is thought to be one the earliest banqueting houses in England and is currently under restoration.

Words: Jackie Bennett