The Fishing Nets site, which has been cultivated since 1140, covers little more than an acre, but the buildings and open spaces are so intricately intertwined and full of choices that looking at the garden plan now, I see I missed several secret courtyards and a large ceramic pot garden.

A kindred skein connects the alchemical cabal of the 17th century with outbreaks of violence in post-9/11 Cambridge, "a city of keys and locked doors and private secret inner courtyards."

This relaxing 'natural home spa' in a secret courtyard is a heady one for the senses.

But it's warm, and early bulbs are sprouting in every secret courtyard, daring the sun to appear.

Now, preservationists are trying to change the way new houses sit on these lots - not only to make them smaller, but also to make them more interesting, with the secret courtyards, well-proportioned details and lush landscaping found in houses by the town's Master Architects.

It's a city landmark - the secret courtyard where visitors must buzz to enter locked gates, an interior ivy-cloaked garden surrounded by five buildings holding a dozen apartments, some with fireplaces and rooftop terraces.

Little fires sputtered in secret courtyards, tended by dark and hungry figures.

Q Map The perfect place to unwind on a warm summer evening is under the shady fruit trees in this secret courtyard with flickering candles.

With his knowledge of the square's hidden alleyways and secret courtyards, I should gain an insight into areas and local life normally missed by the crowds.

A renewed search disclosed an entrance to a secret courtyard hidden behind a large scroll; the courtyard held a small building for storing charcoal and firewood, where two more hidden armed retainers were overcome and killed.