Long Explorer's Route, Anglesey Abbey

The Long Explorer's Route is a gentle 3 km circuit through the varied gardens of Anglesey Abbey, offering a fuller taste of the estate than the shorter trails. Beginning near the Herbaceous Garden, the path meanders into the Pinetum, a peaceful collection of conifers where towering trees give the walk a hushed, woodland feel.

From here you continue to the Lime Tree Lookout Treehouse, a raised viewpoint that lifts you into the canopy for a different perspective on the grounds. The route then leads through the Formal Garden, with its clipped hedges and considered symmetry, before opening out at the Dahlia Garden, a burst of colour in late summer and early autumn.

With only modest ascent and well-kept paths throughout, it is an easy outing that packs a lot of variety into three quarters of an hour. Nearby you can extend your visit to Lode water mill, Quarry Pool, the Mill Stream, the celebrated Winter Garden and Lode Chapel, making a full day of it if you wish.