Gloucestershire is abundant with green spaces
Get outdoors and explore Gloucestershire's best gardens, from historic estates boasting spectacular plantings to English country gardens surrounded by Cotswold countryside.
Cowley Manor gardens
Discover Italianate gardens at the heart of 55 acres of Cotswold countryside at Cowley Manor — the perfect setting for a stroll after indulging in the hotel's afternoon tea, walking off your Sunday roast dinner or enjoying tranquility beyond its award-winning C-Side Spa.
Surrounded by meadows and pastures where you can spot llamas grazing, the 19th-century gardens are free to visit and full of unique features. Go searching for the Grade II-listed water staircase, which is comprised of fountains, pools and stone statues and supplied by a delicate stream of water from the seven natural springs that flow through the grounds, before ordering coffee to the terrace and listening to the birds sing.
Sudeley Castle and Gardens
Steeped in history and boasting royal connections, Sudeley Castle and Gardens in Winchcombe has 10 impressive gardens to explore, from Civil War ruins transformed by floral plantings to the historic Physic Garden, peppered with plants that would've been used to make medicines in Tudor times.
The central Queen's Garden — named after the English queens that have walked there: Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, Queen Elizabeth I and Katherine Parr, who is buried at Sudeley — is a stand-out highlight. Look for the pattern of its formal Tudor parterre and 70 different varieties of roses, all planted there.
Painswick Rococo Garden
Offering follies, statues, water features and creative planting, Painswick Rococo Garden is the perfect place to see seasonal flowers, with daffodils and fruit blossoms in spring and tulips and heritage roses in summer, while September and October are perfect for soaking up the splendour of the autumn colours.
Berkeley Castle
Dubbed ‘a calm oasis in a busy world’, Berkeley Castle’s gardens boast a natural wonderland, with rare plants, shrubs and trees, as well as a tranquil lily pond and walled garden. There are also signs from times gone by, including the sloping bowling green, where Queen Elizabeth I is thought to have played while staying at the castle.
Badminton House
Home to the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort, the Badminton Estate has magical private gardens, where you’ll discover something new at every turn. With glorious displays of roses and borders of soft summer colours, there’s so much to see, including a variety of plants and formal beds designed by landscape architect, Russell Page.
Highgrove Gardens
Within the private residence of the Prince of Wales, the Royal Gardens at Highgrove offer a stunning setting for guests to pick up gardening inspiration, with pre-booked tours taking visitors through an abundance of Britain’s most beautiful flora and fauna.
Westbury Court Gardens
Said to be the only restored Dutch-style water garden in the country, visitors can expect to find a place of elegance and calm, with straight canals, clipped hedges, working 17th-century vegetable plots and old-fashioned orchards at Westbury Court Gardens in Westbury-on-Severn.
Owlpen Manor
Offering a charming hillside garden, Owlpen Manor encompasses magnificent yew topiary, old roses and box parterres, with the chance for guests to take a circular walk around the early Georgian mill pond and lake, fed by seven springs.
Sezincote Estate
Bringing a taste of India to the Cotswolds, the Sezincote gardens were restored in 1968 after being neglected during the Second World War and now boast a curving conservatory home to climbing plants, as well as an Indian-style pavillion and water garden where many rare plants can be seen.
Hidcote Manor Garden
Hidcote Manor Garden is an internationally-renowned garden, comprised of several small and surprising gardens, with a host of unusual varieties of plants, miles of hedges and spectacular colours from Japanese acers.
