Colesbourne Park Snowdrops

The Colesbourne estate is situated in Gloucestershire not far from Cheltenham, and has been owned by the Elwes family since the eighteenth century.  The original 1600 acres of land was bought by John Elwes in 1789 and was gradually enlarged to 6000 acres.  The snowdrop garden was first instigated by Henry John Elwes in 1874, after he discovered examples of Galanthus elwesii in Turkey and took them home.  His great-grandson, Sir Henry Elwes and his wife Carolyn, continue their search for new varieties, and have considerably enlarged the snowdrop collection.  With over 300 varieties today the garden is considered one of the foremost in the UK to view snowdrop diversities. 

Ten acres of garden are now available for visitors to roam, with paths meandering through woodland and beside the blue lake. The snowdrop banks are massed throughout alongside drifts of cyclamen and hellebores.  The surrounding park landscape, arboretum and church are also open to guests.

Our visit will begin with homemade cakes, tea and coffee.  A short presentation will follow giving a brief introduction to the history of Colesbourne Park, the Elwes family, and the diversity of the snowdrops.  A guided tour of approximately 1 hour 15 mins, will be conducted by Sir Henry Elwes and Head Gardener, Katie Reynolds. 

Colesbourne Park Snowdrops, Colesbourne, Gloucestershire GL53 9NP

A435, halfway between Cheltenham/Cirencester.

From Cirencester you will see the lodge house and entry to the gardens on the right-hand side approximately 100m before you arrive at the petrol station. From Cheltenham, go past the pub and petrol station and it is on your left. If you are using the “what3words” navigation app, the address is https://w3w.co/replied.tortoises.staining