From a house furnished with water to a giant copper bird which dances in the breeze, this is the year to see some wonderful open-air art in England. Open-air sculpture has taken off in big way throughout the country, as visitors to any major city, or those riding the National Cycle Network will testify. These are some of the new attractions for lovers of art, gardens and parkland.

• A large sundial crafted by a former Harvard University scientific instrument curator is the centrepiece of the new Gardens of Surprise at Elizabethan stately home Burghley House near Stamford, Lincolnshire. The Tudor-inspired garden, opened (late March) at a cost of £1.5 million, has more than 30 artistic water features, including water-jets, a house furnished with water, a mirror maze, rock-clad grotto and revolving Caesars' busts. The project is the inspiration of Lady Victoria Leatham, a direct descendent of the first Lord Burghley, a passionate gardener. Admission: £6 adult, £5 child. www.burghley.co.uk.

• An open-air sculpture trail has been unveiled at Bolton Abbey at Skipton, North Yorkshire, the estate of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Open daily until October 28, it features up to 17 pieces of sculpture produced by Yorkshire artists, including a nine-foot high copper heron. Visitors follow a circular, three-and-a-half mile route alongside the River Wharfe with its gorge and aqueduct. Admission is £5.50 per vehicle. www.boltonabbey.com

• Also in Yorkshire, the Andy Goldsworthy exhibition is the largest and most ambitious project ever created by Yorkshire Sculpture Park near Wakefield, which celebrates its 30th anniversary. Featuring specially commissioned works by the famous sculptor, the exhibition (March 31 – January 6) addresses themes including holes and portals, walking and journeying and some of his seminal works are reinterpreted in new installations. Admission is free. www.ysp.co.uk

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