Ardnamurchan peninsula, the Highlands
Fifty square miles of untouched countryside with just one road, come for lochside walks, cherry-hued sunsets and magnificent views across the Sound of Mull from Ben Hiant, the peninsula’s looming mountain.
Unique Cottages has a range of self-catering properties, from £495 a week; unique-cottages.co.uk
Hembury & Holne Woods, Dartmoor
Warblers, woodpeckers and the rushing river Dart are the only sounds in this swathe of ancient woodland, latticed with unsignposted walking trails, allowing you to get happily lost. Stay in nearby Buckfastleigh, at lovely Furzeleigh Mill.
Rooms from £115, B&B, furzeleigh.co.uk
Rowallane Gardens, County Down
Tranquillity awaits in the walled garden within Rowallane Gardens. A mix of formal and informal gardens, there is also a wildflower meadow for mindful walking, the Woodland Walk, and a farmland trail to the summit of Trio Hill, with views over County Down and the ancient Rath.
Adults, £9.90; nationaltrust.org.uk/rowallane-garden
Bassenthwaite Lake, Cumbria
One of Cumbria’s least-visited lakes, Bassenthwaite sits at the foot of Skiddaw, with a lovely shoreline walk along the western side, the Dubwath Silver Meadows Wetland Reserve at the northern end, and luxurious Armathwaite Hall Hotel & Spa within easy reach.
Rooms from £295, B&B, including dinner; armathwaite-hall.com
Wakehurst Gardens, West Sussex
There are all kinds of magical spots within the glorious 535 acres of Wakehurst Gardens. Sit on one of the many stone benches in the charming and intimate walled garden, stroll through the flower-filled Bloomers Valley, or lose yourself on the shady Rock Walk.
Adult non-members, £16.50; kew.org/wakehurst
Arun Valley, West Sussex
A blissful pocket of serenity, the Arun Valley is tucked between the Downs, leaving an undeveloped swathe of land, perfect for summer picnics, with great birdwatching potential. Stay at the Black Horse pub in picturesque Amberley.
Rooms from £120; amberleyblackhorse.co.uk
Mynydd Illtud Common, Bannau Brycheiniog, Brecon Beacons
A tranquil plateau with breathtaking 360-degree views, taking in the Black Mountains, Pen y Fan and the Usk river valley, a few minutes from Peterstone Court, one of Bannau’s most charming hotels.
Rooms from £170, B&B; peterstone-court.com
Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Penzance, Cornwall
A monolithic sculpture at the entrance to the Chelsea Garden at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens leads to a series of slate platforms in a dell overlooking bubbling water. This is one of two Silent Spaces (a scheme that offers dedicated biodiverse spaces within public gardens where visitors can be silent and reflect) in this sub-tropical garden. It also features contemplative sculpture, including works by Richard Long and David Nash. The second dedicated Silent Space is Tewlwolow Kernow, an elliptical domed “skyspace” chamber for sky-gazing, designed by artist James Turrell.
Adults, £11; tremenheere.co.uk
Isle of Iona, Inner Hebrides
One of the UK’s most spiritual places, Iona boasts white-sand beaches, vast skies and quiet lanes, with few cars. Explore the ethereal Iona Abbey and stay at St Columba, a charming, small hotel.
Rooms from £160; stcolumba-hotel.co.uk
St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, Cornwall
No cars or hotels, just a simple campsite and a few self-catering properties, St Agnes is an idyllic, off-grid escape – only a mile wide, fringed by glorious white-sand beaches. Book one of Troytown Farm’s three self-catering cottages right by the sea.
From £560 a week; troytown.co.uk
RHS Gardens Wisley, Surrey
The Wildwood at Wisley, the RHS’s flagship, 240-acre garden, is a dedicated Silent Space for quiet reflection, with log stools dotted on the edge of this secluded woodland clearing. Follow the path out of it to the Wellbeing Garden, a series of outdoor “rooms” designed to promote emotional wellbeing.
Adults, £18.20; rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley
Waterperry Gardens, Wheatley, Oxfordshire
The Formal Garden at Waterperry Gardens, also famous for its long Herbaceous Border, is part of the Silent Space scheme. Sit on one of the benches in this peaceful enclosed garden, its design and medicinal plantings inspired by Tudor knot gardens.
Adults, £10.50; waterperrygardens.co.uk
Forest of Bowland, Lancashire
A blissfully peaceful area of gritstone fells, peat moorland and deep valleys, home to some of the most remote cycling and walking trails in the country – and the delightful, dog-friendly Inn at Whitewell.
Rooms from £145, B&B; innatwhitewell.com
Dilston Physic Garden, Corbridge, Northumberland
Everything is here to heal at Dilston, a two-acre contemporary physic garden in the Tyne Valley boasting more than 800 medicinal plants. Reflect in the gazebo, earth yourself on the chamomile lawn, bathe your senses in the sage garden or among the greengage, damson and spindle berry trees in the orchard.
Adults, £6; dilstonphysicgarden.com
Tintinhull Garden, Yeovil, Somerset
The small, formal Arts & Crafts-style garden of 17th-century Tintinhull House is divided into seven “rooms” by yew hedges and stone walls. Designed by Phyllis Reiss, one of these rooms, the Pool Garden, is a reflective space dedicated to the memory of Reiss’s nephew, killed in 1945. The Summer House, which overlooks the pool and the herbaceous borders that flank it, is a peaceful spot to take time out.
Adults, £7.70; 2-night stay from £536, sleeps 8; nationaltrust.org.uk/tintinhull-garden
• This article was amended on 21 August 2023 to correct the spelling of Mynydd Illtud Common.
