On an early summer’s day, when the soft warm air is heavy with the scent of roses and lavender, and the gentle breeze carries the audible buzzing of happy bees, there can be few places in the world that are lovelier than an English garden.

Cerney House Garden is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful that I have seen. A secret walled garden, brimming with gorgeous blooms, pretty vistas and hidden nooks, it is the archetypal English garden.

It’s a sweet, charming spot, with rambling roses, old brick walls and an elegant greenhouse. Walking amongst beds overflowing with romantic colour, I felt as if I were stepping into a poem, or perhaps a midsummer dream.

This is a quiet and comparatively undiscovered spot, where entrance and teas are paid for via an honesty box, and the garden is yours to explore. Over the wall in the orchard, Gloucester Old Spot pigs snuffle and forage, to the delight of my children.

Having swooned over its summer charms, I shall hold its magic close until the springtime, when I have promised myself that I must return to this secret garden and see the bulbs in flower.

Images by Laura Pashby