Colesbourne Gardens — Attraction in Cotswold District

In search of coffee today we happily stumbled upon, what we've since learnt, is quite a horticultural gem and dendrologists heaven! Passing through the beautiful hamlet of Colesbourne we discovered the absolutely stunning snowdrop fields of @colesbournegardens in the Churn valley and very! aptly titled: "England's Greatest Snowdrop Garden"

Bumping into Katie Reynolds, head gardener, we were absolutely fascinated to learn so much more about the humble snowdrop and the estate.

Having been in the family since the 1600's, Sir Henry and Lady Carolyn Elwes have tended to the estate and gardens continuing the legacy of his great grandfather Henry John Elwes, a British botanist, entomologist, author, lepidopterist, collector and traveler!

Amongst the many snow drop varieties on display is Galanthus Elwesii named after H.J. Elwes who found the original plants on an excursion to Turkey.

The gardens truly exemplify the magic and romance of snow drops. Lawns covered in white blooms, a cascading vale of white absolutely reminiscent of the deftest touch of snow.

As you stroll around carpets of white you come across an thoroughly mesmerizing blue lake. The color believed to be caused by microscopic particles of colloidal clay in the water.

Ambling through acres of woodland saturated in snow drops, with the occasionally splash of purple from crocuses was an absolutely magical way to while away the morning.

Thank you so much to Katie Reynolds for her patience and generosity in shepherding some disorientated visitors! An absolutely fantastic...

Fabulous place and stunning snowdrops, hellebores, crocuses and cyclamens. On a clear gorgeous day it’s simply breathtaking and hearing the church bells periodically ring is beautiful . Im dropping two stars for their wheelchair policy of charging full price for the carer -in my opinion it should be FOC because there are lots of uneven stone, gravel & bark chipping paths and obviously due to weather conditions and the fact the ground can can be muddy it’s not easy. Im fully aware this is a private residence and not usually accessed by the public - but feel some grace and compassion could be shown to the carers of those who are...

Colesbourne has an incredible spread of snowdrops which is very welcome as the days get longer. There are decent walks exploring the grounds but some of the slopes are fairly steep. The spreads of cyclamen are also impressive. The lake surrounded by trees can be striking. As it is only open for a few weekends a year the facilities are limited. However the cafe is run by local charities so worth supporting. The cakes are made by locals, delicious and much more varied than commercial cafes. We went on one of earlier weekends it is open, but suspect areas may get...