The Cotswolds is a beautiful location all year round, from picturesque stone villages with pubs, tea rooms, and boutique shops, to rolling hills and plentiful countryside. Abound with National Trust properties to explore you are really spoilt for choice, but which are the best National Trust properties to visit in the Cotswolds? Here are our favorites

1. Snowshill Manor

Snowshill Manor is a stunning manor house and has made it on the list of best national trust properties in the Cotswolds. The house is filled with treasures collected by Charles Wade over his lifetime and is certainly worth a  wander around. Follow this with a stroll in the English country gardens, set on two acres you’ll find well-kept lawns, many colorful plants, flowers, and trees, with benches scattered around to sit and relax and take in the views. Don’t be put off visiting Snowshill Gardens in the autumn and winter – each season brings something new and stunningly beautiful. An abundance of blossom fills the spring months, bees and butterflies darting amongst the many coloured flowers in the summertime and the dramatic colour change in the autumn and winter. The garden also houses a reinstated model village named Wolf’s Cove.

The reception area, shop, and tea rooms are fully accessible by wheelchair or with a buggy, to enter the house there are a couple of steps and different levels inside, so wise to be aware of this. The garden has some gravel paths and uneven steps. There are volunteer-driven buggy shuttles around the site on every open day which stop at the Manor, the Tea Room, and reception, just request a ride and staff and volunteers will be most happy to help.

2. Hidcote 

Hidcote is one of the country’s greatest gardens and if you like your nature and gardening you’ll probably agree that it’s one of the best national trust properties in the UK let alone the Cotswolds. The gardens are divided into distinct areas or ‘outdoor rooms’ as they call them and the gardeners work hard to keep them looking as beautiful as Lawrence Johnston, their creator, would have wanted. Lawrence Johnston was a real lover of plants and gathered them from different parts of the world to create his beautiful and unique gardens at Hidcote that offers a spectacle of different colours, scents, shapes, and textures to its visitors.

Hidcote aims to be as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible which we love.  All food waste coming from the cafe, staff, and volunteers is composted and all compost used that hasn’t been supplied by Hidcote is peat-free. Hidcote has mobility scooters that can be hired out plus a wheelchair, although it is worth noting that there are some narrow, uneven paths due to the nature of the original surfaces. There is plenty to see and explore though from a wheelchair or buggy. Sadly dogs can’t be taken into the gardens but there are some lovely walks that can be done from the carpark with dogs that take you through the surrounding countryside. Having said that, assistance dogs are welcomed throughout the gardens. There is a lovely cafe and shop to refresh too.

3. Chedworth Roman Villa

Chedworth is really quite special! The remains of a grand Roman villa sit in a beautiful Cotswold valley. On arrival you feel a little like you’ve been transported back in time, we would definitely recommend a visit to Chedworth, one of the best national trust properties in the Cotswolds. This is a good one for the whole family as there is plenty to see and do. Little ones will love discovering Roman British history in the museum and through the mosaics. There are children’s tours that show what life was like in a Roman villa or there are family tracker packs that encourage the family to hunt for bugs and wildlife. During weekends and school holidays, there is a dressing-up area where children can really get into the spirit of pretending to be Romans. During these peak times, there are also many fun games to be played in the West range including making your own mosaic rubbing. Children under 11 are invited to get involved in the ‘things to do before you are 11’ fun which encourages them to make a trail with sticks, run around in the rain, make a grass trumpet, and look for frogspawn among many other things. There is also an amazing woodland trail above the Roman villa with wonderful views across the villa and out over the North Range.

The reception, cafe, shop, and West Range are all very accessible if you are on wheels, the rest of the property however does have some slopes, steps, and uneven terrain which can be negotiated on wheels but if it been raining and the ground is wet it wouldn’t come recommended.

Enjoy exploring the Cotswolds and the wonderful national trust places that sit within this area, we hope you get to see some of the best national trust properties that the cotswolds have to offer, perhaps you’ll be able to add some more to our list!