SEPTEMBER 2026

I discovered Coton Manor Garden as it has found Instagram-fame for its bluebell walk. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to visit during bluebell season, but I can promise you it is very well worth bringing a visit in summertime as well. The gardens are small, but very well maintained with a great variety of plants. It’s beautifully designed with different sections and vistas through the hedges. You know I love English gardens and Coton Manor Garden didn’t let me down. When we visited the herbaceous borders were just hitting full bloom! With this blogpost I hope to inspire you to visit Coton Manor Garden as well.

Practical information

Coton Manor Garden is located close to Birmingham, but if you have a car you can easily visit them as a daytrip from Oxford or Cambridge. You can only visit the gardens and not the house. The gardens are only open during the garden season from April – September. Please check the opening hours on the official website as they are not open every day. There is a little café on site which had a lovely terrace which was shaded by a large tree. They serve lunch as well as treats for teatime, quintessentially British. The gardens cost £ 12,5 for adults and you can just buy your tickets onsite. There is a free parking just across the street.

Coton Manor Garden

The garden is famous for its bluebell walk, but the gardeners made sure there are blooms of interest in every season. The gardening season kicks off with displays of tulips and daffodils, after which wisteria and clematis season starts. From May on you will find the roses in bloom, while the rhododendron bushes also show their blooms. Starting June the herbaceous borders will show their summer blooms, such as echinacea and dahlias. We visited in August 2026 during a terrible drought and were a bit afraid of the lack of blooms, but were positively surprised at the state of the gardens. One fun surprise about Coton Manor Garden is that there are flamingos living on the property. When we visited they were enjoying the pond together with the ducks.

Coton Manor Garden is not as kid-friendly as some of the large castle grounds, but the flamingos definitely kept my son intrigued. Lots of plants in the garden are grown in the nursery that is on site. They have an amazing variety of plants available for sale as well, so if you are feeling inspired there is a good chance you are able to buy the flowers you see in the garden.

Hotel recommendation nearby

We stayed at The Three Swans Hotel in nearby Market Harborough. This hotel is part of the Coaching Inn Group, which I will definitely remember for my next visit to England. Spacious, modern rooms at an okay price (£ 110 for a three person room), with a sunny terrace and affordable restaurant and a cozy pub. We watched August 2026’s eclipse from the terrace 🙂