With the summer holidays here it’s an ideal time to explore some of the UK’s most beautiful National Trust gardens

Thanks to funding from Sport England, visitors to National Trust properties will be able to have a go at more than 20 different activities, or simply explore, get outdoors and connect with nature.

Here are just a few of the gardens you could visit during the school holidays and beyond:

Croft Castle and Parkland, Herefordshire (nationaltrust.org.uk/croft-castle-and-parkland)

If you’re heading to Wales this summer, stop off for the day at this beautiful ancient setting on the English-Welsh border, to admire its picture postcard cottage gardens, ancient trees and newly-restored Fishpool Valley, with its cooling cascades of water.

Chartwell, Kent (nationaltrust.org.uk/chartwell)

Winston and Clementine Churchill loved their roses, which is pretty obvious as soon as you step into the garden of their country home.

The swathe of roses which grace The Golden Rose Avenue were a golden anniversary gift from their children, while beautiful ponds and the Walled Garden borders provide a stunning setting, giving visitors a visual treat. Families can enjoy new outdoor games, including boules or quoits.

Castle Ward, County Down (nationaltrust.org.uk/castle-ward)

Game of Thrones fans should recognise the setting of Winterfell in the historic farmyard of the 18th century mansion, as well as the Whispering Wood, and you can even download a map to help you find where the scenes were shot.

But even if you’re not a fan of the show, there’s plenty of interest in this huge 820-acre walled demesne, whether you’re cycling or walking, as you navigate atmospheric woodland, parkland and gardens.

East Riddlesden Hall, Keighley, West Yorkshire (nationaltrust.org.uk/east-riddlesden-hall)

Fancy helping your children make a mud pie? Look no further than the discovery garden in the grounds of this historic house, where they may also fancy building a den or exploring the hobbit house.

Gardeners may prefer to wander through the colourful herbaceous borders surrounding the green lawns. Plonk yourself into a deckchair for a lazy sunny afternoon, or enjoy a picnic in one of the many picnic spots.

Cotehele, Cornwall (nationaltrust.org.uk/cotehele)

August is the prime time to head to the sizzling hot borders at the East Terrace and Upper Garden, in the vast grounds of this impressive Tudor house, which has 14 acres of gardens and 12 acres of orchards.

Mixed border plantings feature hydrangeas, roses, geraniums, irises, salvia and veronicas.

Dyffryn Fernant, Fishguard, Pembrokeshire (open six days a week, and for NGS on Aug 15, ngs.org.uk/view-garden/18847)

Now an RHS partner garden, if you’re a modernist in search of contemporary innovation, look no further than this six-acre garden, which has been created amid the ancient landscape at the rocky tor of Garn Fawr, making the most of its dramatic environment. In the summer, the dahlias, ornamental grasses and exotics reach their peak, while the bog garden is enhanced with a mirrored obelisk.