Inspirational Cotswold Gardens
WORDS BY Katie JarvisHow does your garden grow? If it’s as beautiful as these Cotswold gardens then you’ve reason to be proud.
Prepare to be enchanted as we unveil horticultural masterpieces. From the innovative and sustainable Highgrove Gardens to the Arts and Crafts brilliance of Hidcote, the Victorian grandeur of Highnam, and the whimsical charm of the Rococo style at Painswick, these stunning landscapes offer a delightful escape.
Do check the opening times and days for each of these gardens before you go. Highgrove Gardens need to be booked in advance. The gardens’ websites will advise on any mobility considerations.
Highgrove House and Gardens, near Tetbury, GL8 8TQ
Highgrove House, if you don’t already know, is home to King Charles and Queen Camilla - and it’s a house and estate His Royal Highness dearly loves. Since he moved here in 1980, the King has poured his vision into the grounds, creating a stunning and innovative garden, renowned for being organic and sustainable.
You can only visit on a guided tour, during which you will see the Kitchen Garden, providing ingredients for royal meals; the Cottage, Sundial, and Thyme-walk gardens; the arboretum, home to the King’s favourite magnolias; and the glorious wildflower meadow.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You will need ID to get in, which perhaps isn’t too surprising seeing as it’s the home of the King of England. Full details can be found on the website HERE.
Are refreshments available? Yes, The Orchard Room serves meals and refreshments, and is decorated with the King’s own watercolours.
When can I go? Tours run on selected dates between April and September.
Do I need to book? Yes, and be warned: the tickets go quickly.
Are dogs allowed? Only service or assistance dogs are allowed.
Hidcote, Chipping Campden, GL55 6LR
An Arts and Crafts masterpiece, Hidcote Manor Gardens are considered to be amongst the finest in the world. They were designed by a Major Lawrence Johnston, who followed the Arts and Crafts principle of using natural, locally-available materials.
Covering 10.5 acres, the gardens are a series of characterful outdoor ‘rooms’, taking visitors from formal planting displays surrounding the manor, through to more fluid and intimate spaces as the garden gradually merges with the surrounding countryside.
Are refreshments available? Yes, Winthrop’s Café offers light lunches, drinks, and cakes.
When can I go? Hidcote is open throughout the year, but with seasonal variation.
Do I need to book? No. Tickets are brought on the door.
Are dogs allowed? Yes, but only on selected days. Check the website for up-to-date details.
Kiftsgate Court Gardens, Chipping Campden GL55 6LN
Three generations of women from the same family have created this beautiful series of interconnecting gardens: first, Heather Muir in the 1920s (with help from her nearby neighbour Major Lawrence Johnston of Hidcote), then Diany Binny from 1950, and now Anne Chambers, who manages the garden today. The gardens have developed informally over the years to include gorgeous borders, a stylish water garden, the ‘bluebell bluebell wood’, and of course the famous Kiftsgate rose, the largest rose in England.
Are refreshments available? Yes, there is a tea room offering plenty of choice, and you are welcome to take your food and drink into the garden.
When can I go? Kiftsgate opens between April and September on selected days. Check the website for the latest info.
Do I need to book? No.
Are dogs allowed? No, dogs are not allowed, though they provide a grassy area near the carpark for dogs to stretch their legs.
Highnam Court, Gloucester, GL2 8DP
These gardens are open to the public for special events and group visits (see below for details), but it is well worth waiting for an available date. A wonderful 40-acre Victorian garden, it was originally set out by artist and art-collector Thomas Gambier Parry, whose vision included ornamental lakes, shrubberies, and enchanting water gardens with grottos and fernery. For the past 30 years, owner Roger Head has been lovingly restoring the gardens to their former glory, with many new additions. There’s the most gorgeous one-acre rose garden, and many fascinating wood carvings to complement the landscape.
Are refreshments available? Yes, you can enjoy a light snack and drink in the Orangery tea room.
When can I go? Highnam Court Gardens open to the public one Sunday a month between April and October, for the National Garden Scheme and Pied Piper Appeal charities.
Do I need to book? Tickets can be purchased on the gate.
Are dogs allowed? Yes, dogs on short leads are welcome in the gardens, but not in the Orangery tea room.
Painswick Rococo Garden, Stroud GL6 6TH
The only complete surviving rococo garden in the UK, these six acres abound with flamboyant designs. It was renovated in the 1970s from an overgrown, neglected state, with the invaluable help of a 1748 painting by Thomas Robins. He had captured its 18th century magnificence in detail, and his careful portrayal of its original layout was used as a template for the garden’s restoration. Now, in all its glory, the garden represents a period when French-influenced formality was combined with light-hearted elements of the pleasure-loving age.
Are refreshments available? Yes, there is a café serving breakfast, light lunches and afternoon teas?
When can I go? They open most months of the year, but the days and times vary, so check out the website HERE
Do I need to book? No, but you can buy tickets in advance if you prefer.
Are dogs allowed? Yes, they love them: dogs on short leads are welcome in all areas of the garden, even in the café.
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