No visit to Ripley Castle would be complete without a stroll around the walled gardens, park and grounds.

As you walk along the castle terrace you get fantastic views over the lakes and deer park beyond. The lakeside path takes you to the walled gardens: look for the ha-ha on your right. The walled gardens are the home of the National Hyacinth Collection, and if you are fortunate enough to visit the gardens during April or the beginning of May you will see 40-60 different varieties in full bloom: the perfume is spectacular! The two huge herbaceous borders create such a riot of colour between June and October each year, and the huge range of hot houses contain a highly impressive collection of tropical plants, ferns and cacti. Ancient wisteria and clematis thrive on the high south-facing walls.

The walled kitchen garden contains an extensive herb bed and an extraordinary collection of rare vegetables, grown in cooperation with the Henry Doubleday Research Association. The pleasure grounds contain a collection of specimen trees from around the world and thousands of spring flowering bulbs, daffodils, narcissi, snowdrops, aconites and bluebells. Rhododendrons compete for space with other flowering shrubs. There is also a small children's play area.

The park walk takes you round the castle's large ornamental lake, across the waterfall and into the deer park itself. Here herds of fallow deer and cattle graze under the boughs of ancient beech and oak trees.