Warwickshire's great garden trail

Stop 1: Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden

Castle Road, Kenilworth, CV8 1NG

Begin with one of the most romantic garden restorations in England. In 1575 Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, entertained Elizabeth I at Kenilworth for nineteen days in the most elaborate spectacle of the Elizabethan age - and the garden he created for her was designed with a single purpose: to persuade her to marry him. She never did. English Heritage has recreated the Elizabethan Garden from the detailed eyewitness account of Robert Langham, who sneaked into it while the queen was out hunting. Divided into four quarters with intricate geometrical knot gardens, a marble fountain, a Renaissance aviary and an obelisk at the centre of each quarter, it is extraordinary. The terrace above gives views over the castle ruins and the landscape beyond that have changed little since Elizabeth herself stood there. 

Added Extra! Don't miss a walk across Abbey Fields afterwards for views of the castle from across the lake. Allow 2 hours.

Travel

• 6 miles, approx. 15 minutes via A4177

Stop 2: Baddesley Clinton

Rising Lane, Baddesley Clinton, B93 0DQ 

Down quiet lanes through the remnants of the ancient Forest of Arden, Baddesley Clinton is a medieval moated manor house barely altered since the 1630s - and the gardens that surround it are among the most quietly beautiful in the county. Fish pools, orchard, a walled kitchen garden and a lakeside walk through ancient oak and lime woodland make for peaceful, rewarding visiting at any time of year. The reflection of the house in the moat on a clear day is one of Warwickshire's great underrated pleasures. In spring the walk to the Grade II listed St Michael's Church is carpeted successively with snowdrops, daffodils and bluebells. Picnic in the grounds before heading on. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

Travel

• 3 miles, approx. 8 minutes via B4439
• 5 minutes

Stop 3: Packwood House

Packwood Lane, Solihull, B94 6AT 

Packwood House is famous above all for its extraordinary yew garden - clipped into towering forms that have been growing into their present shapes for over three hundred years. Whether the yews represent the Sermon on the Mount, as a gardener once remarked, or are simply one of England's most remarkable pieces of topiary is a question the garden invites but does not answer. Enjoy a lakeside walk, beautiful borders and a kitchen garden in the grounds of this stunning home. Allow 1.5 hours.

Travel

• 15 miles, approx. 25 minutes via A4189 and A435

Stop 4: Coughton Court

Coughton, Alcester, B49 5JA 

End day one at one of the most acclaimed gardens in Warwickshire. The walled garden - at its best between June and October - is the centrepiece, with beautifully maintained herbaceous borders and garden rooms. Beyond it lie a rose garden, bog garden and orchard and river walks along the Arrow that are particularly lovely in spring and summer. Management of the house returned from the National Trust to the Throckmorton family in 2026 - check the website for current opening and entry information. Allow 1.5–2 hours. Alcester is a short drive away for dinner.

Stop 5: Anne Hathaway's Cottage

22 Cottage Lane, Shottery, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 9HH 

Begin day two in Shottery, where the garden at Anne Hathaway's Cottage is the equal of the house. The Shakespeare Tree Garden contains specimens of every tree mentioned in Shakespeare's works, and the orchard - planted with old varieties of apple and pear - is one of the loveliest garden spaces in Warwickshire. A sculpture trail threads through the orchard, with contemporary works responding to Shakespeare's language set among fruit trees and wildflowers. Walk from Stratford town centre through the fields to Shottery if the weather is kind - arriving at the cottage much as Shakespeare himself might have done. Allow 1.5 hours.

Travel

• 14 miles, approx. 25 minutes via A46

Stop 6: Stoneleigh Abbey

Kenilworth, CV8 2LF 

The grounds of Stoneleigh Abbey reflect eight centuries of continuous occupation - from Cistercian monks to the Leigh family who hosted King Charles I, Queen Victoria and Jane Austen. The grounds were designed by Humprey Repton. The Repton Walk takes visitors into ancient woodland carpeted in bluebells, snowdrops and native wildflowers. Stroll along the river Avon and take in the magnificence of the house. Check the website for tour times. Allow 1.5–2 hours including lunch.

Travel

• 20 miles, approx. 30 minutes via A46 and A422

Stop 7: Upton House

Edgehill, Banbury, OX15 6HT 

End the trail at one of the most dramatic garden descents in England. Admire the steep terraces of Upton House falling away into an ice-age valley, with long herbaceous borders, a mirror pool, a wild garden and an orchard designed by Kitty Lloyd-Jones, one of the first professional female garden designers in England. The views from the terraces stretch across Warwickshire and down to the Edge Hill escarpment where the first battle of the English Civil War was fought in 1642. The garden rewards those who explore beyond the obvious - there is always more than it first appears. Allow 2 hours.