'Good driveway design is all about the arrival experience,' says Charles A Birnbaum, founder and president of the US-based Cultural Landscape Foundation. 'Whether the driveway is long or short, as you arrive at a destination, the driveway says something special about the place. You want it to create an opportunity, to tell you what’s coming.'

There is nothing more emotive than a tree-lined driveway winding towards a character property. The likes of Bleinhem Palace, Chatsworth House and Windsor Castle all demonstrate how these long approaches create the immediate sense of arrival. But such driveways are far from being the preserve of the country's great houses: from new build Palladian piles in Surrey's St Georges Hill to Grade II* listed Georgian homes in West Sussex, there is always a focus on the approach and how it presents the house.

It's not just me who loves these valuable assets – there’s even a YouTube following, with video footage of long driveways being driven up and down. One of the longest clocked is Charborough Park, in Dorset, where it takes just over four minutes to reach the house from the main road.

Here is a selection of exceptional driveways currently available.

Further information

View available properties for sale