Melbourne Hall Gardens with its broad sweeps of lawn, avenues and unexpected vistas is one of the most treasured historical gardens in the country and is the best surviving early 18th century English garden in the manner of le Notre. It was laid out by Rt. Hon Thomas Coke, Vice Chamberlain to Queen Anne, with help from the garden landscape designers George London and Henry Wise in the formal style. It is noted for its long tunnel of Yew, its wrought iron arbour created by Robert Bakewell and its statuary by Jan van Nost, notably the Four seasons monument, a gift from Queen Anne.

There have been few radical alterations to the gardens since the early 18th century. However, in the earlier part of t he 20th century, Lord Walter Kerr and his wife Lady Amabel carried out extensive restoration.