Herts &amp; Beds


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-swiss-garden-at-shuttleworth-biggleswade">Swiss Garden at Shuttleworth, Biggleswade</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="495" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Shuttleworth.png" alt="Shuttleworth Swiss Garden daffodils" class="wp-image-69289" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Shuttleworth.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Shuttleworth-300x149.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Shuttleworth-720x356.png 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Shuttleworth-900x446.png 900w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p><a href="https://www.shuttleworth.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shuttleworth Estate</a> is lovely for a walk year round but it&#8217;s particularly special in the spring months. The Swiss garden is the highlight, with its Swiss Cottage, grotto and fernery, surrounded by beautiful carpets of daffodils and other spring blooms at this time of year. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-knebworth-house">Knebworth House </h2>



<p><a href="https://knebworthhouse.com/Event/dinosaurs-daffodils-for-mothers-day" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dinosaurs and Daffodils</a> is on at Knebworth House on 10 March, where the adults can enjoy the glorious gardens full of sunshiney blooms while the kids make their way around the roar-some dino trail, ahead of the official season re-opening on 23 March, when you&#8217;ll be able to see the grounds in all their spring glory, (the house, park and adventure play are closed until then). Tickets from just £9.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Dinosaurs-and-daffodils.jpg" alt="Dinosaurs and daffodils knebworth" class="wp-image-82970" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Dinosaurs-and-daffodils.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Dinosaurs-and-daffodils-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Dinosaurs-and-daffodils-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/Dinosaurs-and-daffodils-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shaw-s-corner-near-welwyn">Shaw&#8217;s Corner, near Welwyn</h2>



<p>This lesser known National Trust hideaway (and former country home of playwright Bernard Shaw), <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/essex-bedfordshire-hertfordshire/shaws-corner" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shaw&#8217;s Corner</a>, has a pretty garden bursting with spring colour, to explore. You&#8217;ll also find his famous rotating writing hut there. It reopens for the season on 22 March so mark it in the calendar. Try the <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/essex-bedfordshire-hertfordshire/shaws-corner/wheathampstead-to-shaws-corner-circular-walk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wheathampsted to Shaw&#8217;s Corner circular walk</a> to take in some more of the surrounding area. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wrest-park-silsoe">Wrest Park, Silsoe</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Wrest-Park.jpg" alt="Wrest Park" class="wp-image-69288" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Wrest-Park.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Wrest-Park-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Wrest-Park-720x480.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/Wrest-Park-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The gardens of the Grade I-listed English Heritage estate <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Wrest Park (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/wrest-park" target="_blank">Wrest Park</a> spring into life at this time of year. Explore the rambling woodland trails to catch a glimpse of the happy daffs, primroses and snowdrops. The Walled Garden is positively packed with spring bulbs, while in the Pear Orchard they&#8217;ve been left to grow naturally amongst the gladioli and wild cowslips. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-river-lee-country-park-nr-broxbourne">River Lee Country Park, nr Broxbourne</h2>



<p>Stretching between Broxbourne and&nbsp;Waltham Abbey on the Essex border, the 1,000-acre <a aria-label="River Lee Country Park (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.visitleevalley.org.uk/nature-reserves-and-open-spaces/river-lee-country-park" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">River Lee Country Park</a> is positively blooming in spring time with daffodils and camassias. Plus, if you head there soon, you might be able to catch the sprays of&nbsp;pretty purple and white crocuses dotted all around too. Besides the family-friendly walks and bike rides, there’s loads to explore, from Waltham Abbey Gardens to Broxbourne Old Mill, as well as a dragonfly sanctuary and animal adventure park. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hatfield-house">Hatfield House</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/imgs/hertsbeds/Hatfield%20house%20daffodils.jpg" alt="Daffodils at Hatfield House " /></figure>



<p>While the park and gardens at <a aria-label="Hatfield House  (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.hatfield-house.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hatfield House </a>don&#8217;t officially open until 1 April, you can get an early sneak peek on 16 March, when it will open its gates for the NGS Open Gardens, then on 17 March for the annual <a href="https://www.hatfield-house.co.uk/event/dogs-and-daffs-charity-walk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dogs &amp; Daffs</a> charity walk. Enjoy the spring bulbs in the Lime Walk and Sundial Garden and explore the Old Palace Garden (a childhood hangout of Queen Elizabeth I). Or for a longer ramble, head to the adjoining naturalised woodland garden which are carpeted in swathes of yellow. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cassiobury-park-watford">Cassiobury Park, Watford</h2>



<p>Watford’s <a aria-label="Cassiobury Park (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.watford.gov.uk/cassioburypark" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cassiobury Park</a> is a 190 acre oasis on the outskirts of the town. There&#8217;s no shortage of floral abundance here &#8211; the park becomes a sea of yellow in spring, while the Whippendell Woods which are covered in carpets of blue in May and the wildflower meadows come alive with colour in the summer months. Plus there&#8217;s a miniature railway for the kids and a splash park if the weather allows.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-over-the-border">OVER THE BORDER&#8230; </h2>



<p>Nip over to Bucks and MK to spot more of these blooming beauties&#8230; </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ascott-wing-bucks">Ascott, Wing, Bucks</h2>



<p>National Trust gem, <a aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.ascottestate.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ascott</a>, is still home to members of the eminent Rothschild family. It&#8217;s also home to the wonderful Ascott Collection (more fine art and furniture than you can shake a gold-plated stick at). The grounds have been specially designed as winter gardens, with this being the perfect time to enjoy a sea of daffodils. It&#8217;s currently closed for winter but watch this space as it will be opening imminently. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-willen-lake-milton-keynes">Willen Lake, Milton Keynes</h2>



<p>It’s not just watersports in MK’s vast <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Willen Lake (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.willenlake.org.uk/" target="_blank">Willen Lake</a> – the land around it amounts to 80 acres of parkland that’s been planted up for year-round colour. For spring daffs check out the area near the Peace Pagoda and Medicine Wheel, but with 250 million daffodils reportedly planted around Milton Keynes over the last few decades, you shouldn’t have any problem finding a few.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-waddesdon-manor-bucks">Waddesdon Manor, Bucks</h2>



<p>The early flowering daffs are already in full resplendent bloom around the rose garden at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://waddesdon.org.uk/" target="_blank">Waddesdon</a>, but it’s Daffodil Valley that is – as the name suggests – the real show. There’s every shade of yellow in this area near the Aviary (back in 2019, 350,000 spring bulbs were planted around the grounds!) – and it’s even gently sloping to give you the best view across the bobbing  heads. Also check out Tay Bridge and Tulip Patch for their daffs and a quiet picnic spot on a sunny spring day. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stowe-bucks">Stowe, Bucks</h2>



<p>The pale stone of Stowe’s colonnaded facade is the perfect backdrop  to Stowe’s gazillions of daffodils. They’re out now and at their best between Grenville’s Column and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stowe/features/stowe-house" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stowe House</a> and around the iconic (did you pay attention in Classics?!) Temple of Concord and Victory. </p>



<p><a href="https://herts.muddystilettos.co.uk/walks-near-me/best-snowdrop-family-walks-hertfordshire-bedfordshire/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Still time to see snowdrops? Find out where in my local guide, here.</a></p>


Go for gold! Lovely local daffodil walks in Herts, Beds and beyond

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