Cottesbrooke Hall in Northamptonshire has won the Garden of the Year award. Reputedly, the setting for Jane Austen's novel Mansfield Park, the hall - dating from 1702, is complimented by the 18th century landscaping of park, vistas and lakes. The national award, sponsored by the Historic Houses Association (HHA) and Christie's, is given in recognition of an 'outstanding' garden both in its horticultural and public appeal. The gardens' features have been redefined by successive generations of landscape designers, such as Edward Schultz in the early 1900s. The HHA, an association of the owners of Britain's historic houses, castles and gardens, embraces around 1500 houses on its membership list. The winner of the ward is decided through the votes of the HHA's 17,000 Friends. The Friends scheme gives free access to around 300 HHA houses, castles and gardens which open on a regular basis.