Owl House Gardens surround a 16th century timber-framed wool smuggler's cottage (not open to the public).
The romantic gardens, covering 16.5 acres, were created from a cabbage patch in 1952 by Maureen, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, who hoped that visitors would love and value the gardens as much as she had done.
There are beautiful woodland walks where oaks, elms, birch and beech trees are under-planted with rhododendrons, azaleas and bulbs. Here clematis, wisteria and roses climb many of the trees.
In a circle of standard rhododendrons stands a huge stone owl, the guardian of the garden.
Other features include an apple and cherry blossom walk, a 'river' of grape hyacinths which descends a hill in the woodland and sunken water gardens surrounded by azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias.
