We’ve Picked A Bunch Of The Loveliest Gardens Who Open Their Gates Each Year To Visitors
Looking for the best gardens in Gloucestershire? These are the gorgeous outdoor spots you shouldn’t miss. There is something so nice about escaping to one of Gloucestershire’s green spaces – particularly on those days when the sun is on full blast.
Luckily for you, Gloucestershire has a wealth of gardens, large and small for you to discover. These are the best gardens in Gloucestershire – perfect for picnics, basking in the sun and escaping from the hustle and bustle.
Badminton Park
Walk around the beautiful private gardens from the formal beds on the east side of the House which are planted with white tulips for the Spring.
To the south garden with symmetry water squares, hedges, beds and borders all reminiscent of one of the great Loire Valley gardens.
Lydney Park
Flowering cherries, magnolias, scented spring flowering shrubs and drifts of spring bulbs provide a stunning entrance to Lydney Park Gardens. Delve deeper into the grounds and you will find the 8-acre woodland garden a place of tranquil natural beauty.
The park is open to the public in the Spring and is also open on selected days as part of the National Garden Scheme.
Batsford Arboretum
The collections of trees and plants cover a wide range from around the world but have an emphasis on the Far East. There are over 2,850 labelled specimens including about 1,300 different trees, shrubs and bamboo.
Batsford has held the National Collection of Japanese Flowering Cherries since 2002 - which means they have at least 70% of known cultivars.
Berkeley Castle Garden
The gardens specialise in scent and the roses in particular are a delight in June. Rare plants, shrubs and trees are to be enjoyed at these gardens in Gloucestershire.
The grounds also include a Butterfly House with hundreds of butterflies flying freely in a tranquil indoor garden.
Cerney House Gardens
Romantic, secret place in the Cotswolds, one of the best gardens in Gloucestershire. They are part of the home of the Angus family.
Set around a Victorian walled garden, they are described by Country Living as "what most people aspire to in their gardens – and few achieve".
Bourton House Garden
Featuring luxuriant terraces and wide herbaceous borders with stunning plant, texture and colour combinations. Imaginative topiary includes a knot garden, parterre and topiary walk and there are several spring-fed water features including a raised basket pond from the Great Exhibition of 1851.
Visitors to these gardens in Gloucestershire are also invited to enjoy the seven acre walk with groups of specimen trees planted in 1994/95.
Rodmarton Manor Garden
8 acre Cotswold gardens in Gloucestershire is interesting any month of the year but really beautiful throughout the summer months.
Each part of this Gloucestershire garden has a different character ranging from the alpines in troughs, bigger plants in the rockery, lawns, a large kitchen garden, white borders, to the magnificent herbaceous borders which are constantly being replanted and improved.
Kiftsgate Court Gardens
A woodland garden steps down the hillside to a half-moon swimming pool, herbaceous borders, a four square garden, a white garden, a yellow border, a rockery, lawns and a bluebell wood.
There is a water garden in an enclosed space, a restrained design in black, white and green provides a striking contrast. Gilded bronze leaves float over the water providing slight movement in the wind.
Barnsley House Garden
Discover magical country gardens in Gloucestershire that feel like a fairytale. The famous Laburnum Walk has become iconic and there are surprises at every turn.
Explore the kitchen garden where you will discover how fresh their produce really is. And you’ll no doubt come across talented gardeners who lovingly nurture the flowers, plants and produce to keep everything looking lovely all year-round.
Painswick Rococo Garden
This is a place to forget the stresses of everyday life. A place for fun, adventure and exploration. A place to relax, to restore, and to rediscover.
Whether you’re visiting as a family, a group of friends or a couple, or simply in need of some time alone in nature, you’ll discover a haven of peace and tranquillity, sprinkled with quirky features to surprise and delight you.
Sudeley Castle Garden
Set against the stunning backdrop of the majestic castle, and surrounded by striking views of the Cotswold Hills, there are 10 magnificent, award-winning gardens which sweep around the castle and grounds.
Not only that, but they also offer a fantastic adventure playground and fun fort for our younger visitors.
Sezincote Gardens
See canals and Irish yews in the South Garden, Moghul paradise gardens, a curving conservatory, a little pavilion and all the exceptionally fine planting of the water garden.
Streams and pools are lined with great clumps of bog-loving plants and the stream is crossed by an Indian bridge adorned with Brahmin bulls. Ornaments include a temple to Surya the sun god, and a snake coiled around a column in the Snake Pond.
Cirencester Park
Over the years Cirencester Park has been a deer park, a military base, a hospital and the venue for a Glenn Miller concert. It was originally laid out in the 1700s as a deer park by the first Earl Bathurst. It remained that way until the First World War when it became a military camp, once home to the Warwickshire Yeomanry. During this time the fences surrounding the deer park fell into disrepair and fallow deer escaped, a herd of which roam the Park to this day.
You are more than welcome to experience the wonders of Cirencester Park for yourself as the Park is open to members of the public.
Westonbirt Arboretum
Home to 2,500 different species from the far corners of the globe and 5 national tree collections, Westonbirt is the perfect place for you to escape, relax or have an adventure! Take a journey up into the canopy on the STIHL Tree Top Walkway, stop by the café for a tasty treat or see if you can spot the Gruffalo!
Join their experienced and knowledgeable volunteers as they guide you through the Old Arboretum. Explore the seasonal features and discover a hidden gem or your new favourite spot!
Stanway Water Gardens
The Stanway Watergarden is one of the finest in England, created in the 1720s for John Tracy, probably by Charles Bridgeman, gardener to Lord Cobham at Stowe, Buckinghamshire from 1719 and Royal Gardener from 1727, who invented the English style of gardening, which superseded the Franco-Dutch style.
Typically Bridgemanic is the Canal, a magnificent formal sheet of water, situated unusually on a terrace 25 feet above the house, and the Cascade (the largest in Britain, partially restored), fed by water flowing under the Pyramid from the Pyramid Pond.
Westbury Court
You can explore canals, admire clipped hedges and see 17th-century vegetable plots growing through the seasons. There's a dedicated picnic area over the bridge, so why not make some sandwiches, pack your rug and book your visit?
Visiting is like stepping back in time to a place of elegance and calm. Here you'll find straight canals reflecting the sky, clipped hedges, ornate garden buildings and old-fashioned orchards.
Hidcote
Arts and crafts inspired garden with intricately designed outdoor spaces in the rolling Cotswold hills. Explore the maze of narrow paved pathways and discover secret gardens, delightful vistas and colourful planting.
The garden is divided into a series of ‘outdoor rooms’, each with its own character. The formality of the ‘rooms’ melts away as you move through the garden away from the house.
Newark Park
Tudor hunting lodge set proudly in an estate on top of the Cotswold escarpment, looking down into the Ozleworth Valley and to the Mendips beyond. The quaint gardens and sprawling parkland are filled with seasonal blooms.
The peacocks that roam the garden are very friendly and love to call out to their friends. They live at Newark Park full time so you're almost certain to see one.
Snowshill
The garden of this Cotswold manor house is the perfect place to unwind and explore hidden vistas, quiet corners and unexpected delights.
It is the perfect place to explore on a spring walk which takes in the beauty of this place and gives remarkable views of Snowshill Manor and Garden.
Open Gardens
The scheme gives visitors unique access to over 3,600 exceptional private gardens in England and Wales, and raises impressive amounts of money for nursing and health charities through admissions, teas and cake.
Dyrham Park
Situated near Bath, this ancient parkland is full of magnificent trees and view points with extensive vistas that stretch as far as the Welsh mountains. The garden is home to sumptuous planting, formal areas and peaceful wooded terraces.