Trentham is a 730-acre estate at the southern edge of Stoke that has been transformed over the last twenty years from a faded Edwardian leisure ground into one of England's most ambitious garden restorations. The Italian Gardens, originally laid out by Charles Barry in the 1840s and replanted by Tom Stuart-Smith and Piet Oudolf, run formally down to the lakeside. The Rivers of Grass — long sinuous beds of late-summer perennials and ornamental grass — are at their best in September.
Beyond the gardens there is a mile-long lake with rowing boats, a 5-km walking trail right around it, a treetop adventure course, the Italian-themed shopping village on the high street, and the Monkey Forest a short walk away. It is one of the best half-day attractions in the West Midlands.