Sizergh

This imposing house stands proud at the gateway to the Lake District.

Its rich and beautiful garden includes a pond, lake, a national collection of hardy ferns and a superb limestone rock garden.

Still lived in by the Strickland family, Sizergh has many tales to tell and certainly feels lived in, with centuries-old portraits and fine furniture sitting alongside modern family photographs.

The exceptional wood panelling culminates in the Inlaid Chamber, returned here in 1999 from the Victoria and Albert Museum. The 647-hectare (1,600-acre) estate includes limestone pasture, orchards and semi-natural woodland.