Britain's best sculpture gardens and trails

Giant balls of twine dangle from branches; a vast stained-glass window hangs between the trees; 100 iron men stand sentry beside the sea - welcome to a world of spectacular sculptures in nature. From the Forest of Dean to Northern Ireland, explore these artful wonders in our guide to the best sculpture gardens and trails in Britain.

Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden, Surrey

A lush and ethereal sculpture garden near Cranleigh, the Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden hosts contemporary work by British and international artists. The outstanding landscape create a magical backdrop where planting, light, water, and sound all play their part in the stunning exhibition of sculptural works.

• Black & White Cottage, Standon Lane, Dorking RH5 5QU, opening times vary. Entry £10.

Huge twine balls suspended from trees — 'Belonging' by Deborah Davies./Credit: Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden

Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail, Gloucestershire

Established in 1968, this pioneering trail of permanent and temporary sculptures celebrates the spirit of the Forest of Dean. Each sculpture is situated carefully; to be chanced upon, investigated and considered in relationship with the sylvan landscape around it.

• Speech House Road, Coleford, Gloucestershire. Open daily, dawn until dusk. Entrance free.

Stained glass window hanging in a forest — Kevin Atherton's Cathedral on the 4.5 mile Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail./Credit: Ryan Griffiths / Geograph

Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, Cornwall

Stepping from the narrow lanes of St Ives fishing village into the walled sanctuary of Barbara Hepworth’s secret sculpture garden and studio is a magical experience. Hepworth’s friend, composer Priaulx Rainier, designed the garden and Hepworth herself sited many of the bronzes. Occasional music performances in the garden are extra special.

• Barnoon Hill, Saint Ives, TR26 1AD. Open daily, 10am to 5.20pm. Adult entry £7.70.

Tall metal sculpture in landscaped garden — From 1949, Barbara Hepworth lived and worked at the St Ives site for 26 years./Credit: Kirstin Prisk

Andy Goldsworthy Sheepfolds, Cumbria

Sheepfolds is Cumbria County Council’s countywide sculpture project created by Andy Goldsworthy who worked with existing sheepfolds in disrepair and at sites where they no longer existed. His structures sometimes enclose boulders, sometimes stone cones, many have artworks built into the walls. Visit sheepfoldscumbria.co.uk for locations of Goldsworthy's 46 completed sheepfolds.

• Open daily. Entry free.

A circular drystone wall surrounds chunky standing stones — Stone Gathering by Andy Goldsworthy./ Credit: Russell Wills / Geograph

Hannah Bennett Sculpture Garden, Derbyshire

Sculptor Hannah Bennett has created a relaxed garden of works by leading artists in the gentle surroundings of her home in the village of Eyam. Sculptures sit cheek by jowl with vegetables and all profits go to the Neo Natal Unit at Chesterfield Royal Infirmary.

• Hannah Bennett Sculpture Garden, The Barn Off Church St, Eyam, Hope Valley, S32 5RH. Open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until October. Entry £2.

IMG_1595-33f8973 — Hannah Bennett's ceramic sculptures mingle with work by other artists./Credit: Hannah Bennett

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

The first of its kind in the UK, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park is the largest sculpture park in Europe, sitting in 202 hectares of parkland at Bretton Hall in West Yorkshire. This ‘gallery without walls’, founded in 1977 by Sir Peter Murray, is a thrilling place to see art in a beautiful 18th-century landscape, with its woodlands, follies and lake. There are some 100 sculptures and installations to discover in this exciting open-air collection. Art includes Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and Shadow Stone Fold by British sculptor Andy Goldsworthy.

There is work by 20th-century artists, such as Elizabeth Frink, Juan Miró and Barbara Hepworth, and Henry Moore’s abstracted forms inspired by animal vertebra or lumps of flint. Moore visited the park in 1979 as its first patron and there has been a display of his works there ever since, the rolling hills and expansive vistas being an ideal setting for his monolithic sculptures.

• West Bretton, Wakeﬁeld WF4 4JX. Open daily, 10am to 6pm. Standard entry £9.

Three towering sculptures surround a woman — Upright Motive 1,2 and 7 by Henry Moore at Yorkshire Sculpture Park./Credit: Nigel Roddis/Getty

Another Place, Sefton

Sir Antony Gormley’s meditation on emigration is a spectacular experience. At Another Place, 100 naked cast-iron men washed by the tide stare out to sea along three kilometres of the sandy Sefton shore. This major cultural attraction appears quite different depending on the state of the tide and the light.

• Crosby Beach, Merseyside. Open daily. Entry free.

Sunset over the sea — An iron figure is washed by waves at Crosby Beach in Another Place/Credit: Joe Hayhurst, Getty

Lake Vrynwy Sculpture Trail

A feat of Victorian engineering, Lake Vrynwy reservoir at the edge of Snowdonia was initiated in 1878 to supply the booming city of Liverpool, 64 miles away with clean fresh water. Now also an RSPB reserve, the lake hosts an award winning sculpture trail featuring much wildlife.

• Llanwddyn, Oswestry, SY10 0LU. Open daily. Entry free.

CTR8EP Simon O'Rourke's 'The Giant Hand Of Vyrnwy' statue on July 27, 2012 at Lake Vyrnwy, Wales. — Simon O'Rourke's The Giant Hand Of Vyrnwy ./ Credit: Alamy

Lough MacNean Sculpture Trail, Enniskillen

Bordered by the counties of Fermanagh, Leitrim and Cavan, the 42-mile sculpture trail created by Irish artists at Lough MacNean celebrates the history and culture of the local communities including the religious divide, emigration and famine. You can walk or cycle the route, spotting the 11 sculptures along the way.

• Lough MacNean. Open daily. Entry free.

CEMYJR Imagine an Island - sandstone sculpture by Louise Walsh at Lough MacNean Upper, near Blacklion, Ireland. Editorial use only.. Image shot 2011. Exact date unknown.