One such place is the beautiful Italianate villa, Ellel Grange.

Built in 1860, it is a copy of Queen Victoria's Osbourne House.

The story behind the imposing house is a charming one.

It was commissioned by Liverpool merchant William Preston and built in 1860. His ancestors had owned the land as far back as the 1500s but, during the Civil War they had the land confiscated as they were royalists. Mr Preston bought the land back and set about creating a home in its stately grounds.

When he died the house passed on to his daughter who married into the Sandeman Port family.

It carried on through the generations until 1980 when Miss Sandeman lived in the house all by herself. She eventually sold it and for six years it was run as a health farm before it became Ellel Ministries, a non-denominational healing retreat, headed by Peter Horrobin.

At the weekend the house opened its doors to visitors and the majesty of the place hasn't diminished over the years.

The house boasts some quirks, in the drawing room a wall lined with wood panelling turns out to be nothing of the kind. The 'wood' is made out of plaster and horsehair.

And some of the internal columns are made out of the marble they purport to be, others are hollow and are used to drain water which is collected centrally as there are no drainpipes on the outside of the building.

A sweeping staircase leads to about 20 bedrooms, all accessed from a hidden corridor. And then up another two flights of stairs to one of the two towers, which has now been converted into a prayer room.

Perhaps the most stunning part of Ellel Grange though is the 12 acres of gardens.They boast some of the oldest tree specimens in the north west with two trees dating back to 1860 when the garden was initially created - a variegated sycamore and a weeping silver lime. The lime now stands 90ft high.

On the driveway there is also an imposing oak tree, which has been dated to 1850.

Apparently the theme of the garden when it was first created was solace and contemplation.

With its rolling hills and views over to Clougha, the original designer certainly achieved his aim.

Although the Grange was only open at the weekend for the public to see, several people who worked there said they never turn people away. So if you fancy a wander around to look at one of :Lancaster's historic jewels it's probably worth popping in and trying your luck.

It's well worth it.