Parham House is an Elizabethan, grand country estate featuring a rambling stone and slate house surrounded by seven acres of pleasure gardens and four acres of beautifully tended walled gardens. 

Surrounding all is a further 875 acres of rolling Sussex countryside and deer parks, making a perfect backdrop to this lesser known, but 'must-visit' example of English grand design.

The grounds closest to the house feature many wonderful old grey stone out-buildings and cottages and the walled vegetable and herb garden is a fine example of the potager's art, originating from the 18th century. 

Vibrant with colour and chock full of a wide range of fruits and vegetables, it is run on organic principles and is designed for a long season.

An orchard contains traditional varieties of apple and other fruit trees. 

The Herb Garden grows medieval and Tudor medicinal and culinary herbs and in the ornamental vegetable garden, whose patches are enclosed by box hedging, a mixture of traditional vegetables and flowers are grown.

And then there's the long glasshouse - built against a high stone wall (for retained warmth) this is perhaps the best greenhouse ever, being incredibly long and packed with blooming plantlife.  It is a reason to visit Parham on its own!

Its romantic herbaceous borders are typical of the Edwardian era of abundance and look good until the first frosts. 

The tapestries of plants and their colours echo the embroidery within the house, all raised in the old greenhouses by the team of estate gardeners.

You will find larger and more highly featured gardens elsewhere, but few that can match the tranquility and timeless beauty of this very pretty corner of Sussex.