Can you believe how quickly this year is going?! It’s not all bad though because it means that my favourite season is underway as well as the hope of warmer days to come! One of my favourite things to do Spring in and around Oxfordshire is to get outdoors into nature and enjoy the various floral displays. In this post I have put together my favourite (and the best) place to see Spring Flowers around Oxfordshire. I hope will encourage you to get outdoors too and enjoy what this season has to offer!
Best Places to see Spring Flowers around Oxfordshire
Snowdrops (mid/ late February)
Snowdrop walks are a lovely thing to look forward to in February and are certainly gaining popularity. I’ve rounded up the best places to see these spring flowers around Oxfordshire.
Stowe, Buckinghamshire
At Stowe, the snowdrops are so famous they even have their own season. Visitors can follow the special snowdrop walk, especially Canons Ashby and its carpet of snowdrops running up to the house.
Swyncombe, Oxfordshire
The village of Swyncombe, not far from Watlington, is well known in the area for its Snowdrop teas and 4.7 mile walking trail. The walk begins at the pretty 11th century church of St Botolph’s, a beautiful flint church which is famed for the churchyard’s carpet of snowdrops every February.
Welford Park, Berkshire
Welford Park, near Newbury, is not only famous as the filming location for The Great British Bake Off, but also for its annual display of snowdrops. In 2024, you can visit between 31 January – 3 March 2024 (closed Monday and Tuesday) to see the snowdrops for yourself. Adult tickets cost £12 and it is advised to book your visit in advance.
Kingston Bagpuize House, Oxfordshire
Open on Sundays in February for visitors to see the snowdrops, Kingston Bagpuize house is a privately owned manor house just outside of Abingdon. They even have a dedicated snowdrop plant fair!
Waterperry Gardens, Oxfordshire
The grounds of Waterperry Gardens offer more than 60 different snowdrop varieties which carpet the ornamental gardens this time of the year. There is also a great display by the walk along the River Thames.
Daffodils (end of February/March)
Just as snowdrop season ends, the daffodils are blooming. I always find the bright yellow flowers do a great job of cheering up the cold Spring days. If you’re looking for the best places to see impressive daffodils displays, keep reading!
Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire
Each Spring Waddesdon Manor shows off a seriously impressive display of daffodils. So much so that they have an entire valley named after them on the estate. To see them in all their glory, for-go the shuttle bus and take a leisurely stroll up to the manor through Daffodil Valley.
Shotover House, Oxfordshire
Shotover House near Wheatley is not usually open to the public but once a year hosts Daffodil Day to raise money for charity. During your visit (17th March 2024) you can enjoy tea and cake, and can also buy a few souvenirs from the plant and home-made produce stall!
Ascott House and Gardens, Buckinghamshire
The Ascott Estate reopens to visitors on 19th March 2024, ready to welcome you with a display of over 1.5million (yes, that many!) daffodils.
The Vyne, Hampshire
Outside of Basingstoke, the south drive of The Vyne is surrounded by daffodils in the Spring, along with the path through the historic walled garden. If you’re looking to take some home with you, they also have bunches for sale here too.
Batsford Arboretum, Gloucestershire
Just over the border into Gloucestershire, Batsford Arboretum is a sea of yellow in March. To make sure you visit during prime bloom you can even call their hotline in advance (01386 701441).
Primroses (February/March)
I don’t know about you but I think Primroses are seriously underrated as Spring flowers. If you are a fellow primrose fan, you can find beautiful displays around Oxfordshire in this location:
Hughenden Manor, Buckinghamshire
Primroses were Benjamin Disraeli’s (the former Hughenden Manor resident) favourite flower and you will see plenty of the pretty lemon-coloured primroses dotted around the banks and borders of the estate’s gardens.
Cherry blossom (March)
You know that Spring is well and truly here when the cherry blossom is out. I’ve been lucky enough to see the famous cherry blossom display in Washington DC (cherry blossom season in Japan is still on my bucketlist) but you don’t have to travel as far as that to enjoy the pretty pink flowers.
Greys Court, Oxfordshire
The cherry garden at Greys Court is one of my favourite parts of my local National Trust property. This year the garden is open again with more cherry trees than before, having been restored and planted last year. The orchard’s miniature pear and apple trees blossom in late spring so the season spans a good few months. Needless to say, I am very excited to visit!
Cliveden, Buckinghamshire
Cliveden is beautiful whatever the season, but I particularly love visiting in Spring when the trees are in blossom around the site. Away from the formality of the impressive House is the ornamental Round Garden Orchard. Here you’ll find a series of arches, forming tunnels of blossom during spring time. The display starts with the white blossom of the pears in March, followed by the apples, with white flowers and pink centres.
Oxford University Parks, Oxfordshire
Oxford city centre also needs a mention on this list for its blossom displays – particularly in the University Parks. Pack yourself a picnic and in some areas you may even be able to sit back and enjoy some university sport matches. You can also pay South Park a visit which always looks pretty in the spring with its flowering trees and views out across the city skyline.
Harcourt Arboretum, Oxfordshire
The vast collection of unusual trees in Harcourt Arboretum certainly put on an impressive display of blossom in Spring. It is recommended you book your visit in advance which can be done via their website.
Magnolia (March)
By late March the magnolia blossom is out. We’re lucky enough to have a gorgeous magnolia tree in our back garden but its not quite the same as some of the displays around Oxfordshire.
Cliveden, Buckinghamshire
Cliveden makes it onto the list for a second time for its display of Magnolia. The oriental inspired Water Garden is another favourite spot of mine, and really comes alive in Spring with the dusky pink blossom and creamy-white magnolia.
Nuffield Place, Oxfordshire
Reopening on 13th March, Nuffield Place, between Henley and Wallingford has beautiful flowering magnolia (along with plenty of cherry trees) along the edge of the woodland walk. Definitely a location I’d like to visit this year!
Headington Hill Park, Oxfordshire
Another spot in Oxford for pretty magnolia displays is Headington Hill Park. You can also enjoy the unusual Japanese Bitter Orange trees, which also flower in spring.
Tulips (mid-April/May)
Since my Year Abroad in Germany, when I was not far from the Dutch border, I have longed to visit the Dutch tulip fields. Somehow I haven’t quite managed it yet, so I will have to settle for the smaller scale displays in and around Oxfordshire.
Rookwood Garden, Berkshire
Rookwood Garden is a real hidden gem and should really be on people’s radar as somewhere to see spring flowers around Oxfordshire. In mid-April/ May, the tulip borders are especially impressive!
Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire
Waddesdon Manor is on the list again and this year promise visitors more than 50 thousand red and yellow tulips on the terrace. In the Aviary Garden you’ll find yet more tulips, this time in pink and purple hues!
Ascott House and Gardens, Buckinghamshire
The Dutch Garden at Ascott House is another place to see the tulips this spring and you’ll find a variety of blooms around the grounds.
Bluebells (end April/early May)
It seems a long way off Bluebell season at the moment but it’ll be here before we know it. There are some great places to see the Bluebells in the area but I’ve narrowed it down to some of my favourite spots.
Basildon Park, Berkshire
Basildon Park is a great place to visit to see Spring Flowers but if you visit at the end of April you can enjoy all of the beautiful bluebells. I would recommend taking the green trail through the woodland (which is family and pushchair friendly too). It’s about 1.5 miles and takes about 40 minutes to walk.
Warburg Nature Reserve, Oxfordshire
Located not far from Henley in the heart of the Chiltern Hills is Warburg Nature Reserve. I actually used to volunteer here when I was younger so I love visiting throughout the year to see the seasonal displays of floral and fauna. April and May are the best time to visit as Warburg is home to one of the largest bluebell displays in the county!
Badbury Hill, Faringdon
During springtime the historic site of Badbury Hill hosts a stunning bluebell display. Around the woodland are the remains of an Iron Age hill fort and even a Roman Temple. Something for every nature and history lover’s Oxfordshire bucketlist!
If you’re still looking for more places to see the Bluebells in and around Oxfordshire, I’ve written a full blog post which you can find here.
Cover image of Waddesdon, source Great Days
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Other posts that may help you:
- The Prettiest Villages in the Cotswolds
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- Days Out in Southern England
- What to do in Henley on Thames
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed my post on where to see spring flowers around Oxfordshire! If you have any questions about the different destinations or if you think I’ve missed somewhere off the list, please do get in touch in the comments below!
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Love, Victoria X
