Things to do · Withington
Colesbourne Park
The Elwes family's snowdrop garden on the A435 between Cheltenham and Cirencester, with over 300 varieties round the house and lake, open on eight weekend days in late January and February by advance ticket only.
Dog-friendly
The place to see snowdrops in quantity and in variety, on just eight days a year. Book ahead, wear boots and bring the dog on a short lead.
- Good: Over 300 snowdrop varieties
- Good: School-age children and wheelchair users free
- Good: Dogs welcome on a short lead
- Worth knowing: Open only on eight weekend days in late January and February
- Worth knowing: Tickets bought in advance online only
- Worth knowing: Paths can be muddy and slippery; some gardens not wheelchair accessible
About
Colesbourne Park, on the A435 halfway between Cheltenham and Cirencester and about 3.5 miles by road from Withington, is the Elwes family's home and the setting for a snowdrop collection of over 300 varieties, grown from the plantings of Henry John Elwes. Elwes, who was born and died here, found the snowdrop now called Galanthus elwesii near Smyrna in April 1874 and arranged for bulbs to be sent home; with the botanist Augustine Henry he also wrote The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland, in seven volumes.
About 10 acres of formal snowdrop walks run round the house and the lake, with parkland and an arboretum beyond. St James' church is always open, and its bells often ring on the weekends of the season. Refreshments are served in the courtyard by a different charity each weekend, beside the toilets and a plant stall.
The gardens open only on Saturdays and Sundays in late January and February: in 2027 on 30 and 31 January and 6 and 7, 13 and 14, and 20 and 21 February, from 11am with last entry at 4pm. Entry is by ticket bought in advance online, £15.50 an adult for the 2027 season; school-age children and wheelchair users go free. Allow about two hours. The gates open at 11am, and the first hour is the quietest.
Dogs are welcome on a short lead. Wear boots: winter weather makes the paths muddy and slippery. Our guide to snowdrops in the Cotswolds names the other gardens that open for them.
Opening hours and season
Snowdrop open days in 2027: 30 and 31 January, 6 and 7, 13 and 14, and 20 and 21 February. Gates open 11am; last entry 4pm.
Facilities
- Parking in the groundsAmple; no roadside parking. Wheelchair users park in the Stable Yard
- RefreshmentsIn the courtyard, run by a different charity each weekend
- ToiletsIn the courtyard
- Plant sales stallIn the courtyard
- Dogs on a short lead
The details
- Time to allow
- About two hours
- Features
- Parking · Guided tours
- History
- Grown from H. J. Elwes's plantings; he found Galanthus elwesii in 1874
- Parking
- Ample parking in the grounds; do not park on the roadside. The postcode does not reach the entrance: use the lodge on the A435, about 140m east of the petrol station.
- Without a car
- Stagecoach bus 51 between Cheltenham, Cirencester and Swindon runs on the A435 past the gate. Cheltenham Spa and Kemble are the nearest stations.
Photos
A snowdrop open day 
The woodland walk 
Snowdrops and aconites 
Snowdrops by the lake
Location
Places to stay nearby
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The Bathurst Arms
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A pub with five rooms on the River Churn at North Cerney, about five miles north of Cirencester, with a beer garden, food every day and roasts on Sundays.
Verified Nov 2026
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The Inn at Fossebridge
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An inn, a hostelry since the early seventeenth century by its own account, where the Fosse Way crosses the River Coln, between Cirencester and Northleach, with 4 acres of riverside gardens, log fires and seven rooms.
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The Royal George Hotel
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Dog-friendly · Walker-friendly · Family-friendly
Verified Oct 2026
Nearby walks, places and things to do
- Chedworth Roman Villa 5.2 km away
- The Bathurst Arms 5.7 km away
- Cerney House Gardens 6.0 km away