Woodland Gardens

The Woodland Gardens are now open for the public to enjoy until Sunday 11th June 2023.

A separate attraction on the Bowood Estate, only open for 6 weeks during the flowering season from Friday 14th April to early June. Covering over 30 acres, this garden is an oasis of bluebells, azaleas, magnolias, and rhododendrons. Considered to be one of the most exciting gardens of its type in the country with over 30 hardy hybrids, which were thought to be extinct.

New opening hours: 10am – 17:00, with last admissions at 16:00.
Tickets are now on sale.

 

BOOK TICKETS

Bowood's Woodland Gardens

Woodland Gardens are now open for the 2023 flowering season.

There are over two miles of pathways throughout the Woodland Gardens.

Please note that wheelchair access to remote areas of the park can be limited as there are some paths with fairly steep gradients and different terrains. Wheelchair accessible toilets are available near the Admission Kiosk.

The Woodland Gardens are a separate attraction and have a separate entrance to Bowood House & Gardens. The entrance is just off the A342, Devizes Road, between Derry Hill and Sandy Lane villages. If using Sat Nav please use the postcode SN11 9PG.

Parking is available, free of charge, adjacent to the Admissions Kiosk. Toilets are available at the entrance by the Admissions Kiosk.

Refreshments at the Woodland Gardens will be provided by The Nosh Box. A selection of home-made cakes and locally sourced tea and coffee will be available from a vintage horse trailer that has been lovingly restored. They accept both card and cash.

2023 prices to the Woodland Gardens

  • Adult (17+) £9.00
  • Senior (60+) £8.00
  • Young Adult (13-16 years) £8.00
  • Children aged 12 and under are free
  • RHS Members receive complimentary access into Bowood Woodland Gardens, when showing their RHS Card on arrival.
  • Season Ticket Holders receive complimentary access into Bowood Woodland Gardens, when showing their Season Ticket Card on arrival.

Tickets are available to book online.

Brand NEW for 2023, join an exclusive guided tour of Bowood’s spectacular Woodland Gardens. On set dates through out the 6 weeks the Woodland Gardens are open, individuals can join onto a Guided Tour. Find out more.

You can now download our Woodland Gardens Map online here before arrival.
DOWNLOAD WOODLANDS MAP

For more information on our Trees in the Woodland Gardens please download our Bowood Treebook Guide below and go to page 36. Titled: ‘Trees in the Rhododendron Walks’
DOWNLOAD TREEBOOK GUIDE FOR HOUSE & GARDENS

Purchase Tickets

New for 2023 Woodland Garden Guided Tours

Brand new for 2023, join an exclusive guided tour of Bowood’s spectacular Woodland Gardens.

On set dates through out the 6 weeks the Woodland Gardens are open, individuals can join onto a Guided Tour of the Woodland Gardens.

As you are led along the rides by your expert tour guide, each step opens a new vista of breathtaking beauty, from the minute detail of the individual flower to the grand sweep of colours formed by hundreds of shrubs.

In April, you will be surrounded by carpets of bluebells and swathes of magnolias. May and June bring a breathtaking display of rhododendrons and azaleas, with over 30 hardy hybrids, some previously thought to be extinct.

The various walks extend to over two miles in length, and most are named after members of the family.

You will also visit the impressive Mausoleum, one of Robert Adam’s finest classical buildings, which was commissioned in 1761 as a memorial to the 1st Earl of Shelburne.

find out more

A horticulturist's paradise

The Jubilee Garden is a four acre section of planting within the Woodland Gardens.

Originally laid out around 1854 by the 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne. Maintaining this family tradition, the new addition to the Rhododendron Walks has involved a 12-year labour of love for the present Marquis, who started planting in the wood that is known as ‘The Jubilee Garden’ in 2006.

The Woodland Gardens surround the family mausoleum, one of Robert Adam’s finest classical buildings, which was commissioned in 1761 by the widow of the 1st Earl of Shelburne. Recently, the Woodland Gardens have been the subject of one of the most exciting and significant horticultural finds – over 30 original hardy hybrids which were thought to be extinct. The original plants date back to when the garden was first planted by the 3rd Marquis of Lansdowne in 1854. The present Marquis’s great grandfather substantially expanded the gardens on his return from India where he had been Viceroy.

catering at the woodland gardens

THE NOSH BOX

Refreshments at the Woodland Gardens will be provided by The Nosh Box. A selection of home-made cakes and locally sourced tea and coffee will be available, served from a quirky, vintage horse trailer that has been lovingly restored. Located by the admission kisok.

Dogs welcome at the Woodland Gardens

The perfect walk, with ‘man’s best friend’ over two miles of winding paths intersecting the valleys.

Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome.