Sudeley Castle & Gardens – one of Gloucestershire’s leading, and most prestigious, visitor attractions – welcomed visitors back through its gates once again when it reopened for the 2026 season on Saturday 14th March in time for Mother’s Day.
Sudeley Castle & Gardens adjoins the picturesque market town of Winchcombe in Gloucestershire and is set within 1,000 acres of glorious Cotswold countryside. Open until 1st November 2026, Sudeley has 10 unique gardens that will burst into bloom over the spring months. The Tudor Physic Garden will reopen for the first time since its closure during the pandemic; this garden will feature plants originally used to create medicines and cures during the Tudor period, when Queen Katherine Parr lived at Sudeley Castle.
During its closure over the winter, the team at Sudeley were busy behind the scenes maintaining and conserving the castle’s many historic furnishings and artefacts, from polishing the extensive woodwork to delicately dusting library treasures. This year, Sudeley is welcoming new volunteers to become part of its volunteer community which plays a vital role in welcoming visitors, telling Sudeley’s story, preserving its past and protecting its future.
From 28th March – 12th April, Sudeley will welcome families for fun-filled Easter adventures. Visitors can weave around Sudeley’s gardens as they follow a trail of golden eggs, leading them to search for a giant hare before being rewarded with a little sweet Easter treat. From Easter Friday until Easter Monday, visitors can enjoy an egg-stra special Easter show, hosted by Queen Elizabeth I and her travelling court. Promising laughter, drama, a bit of audience participation and plenty of Tudor mischief, the family-friendly performances will tell the tale of the infamous Winchcombe bakers and their apparently ‘illicit’ hot cross buns!
Throughout April and May, Sudeley’s beautiful gardens will burst into colour as more than 5,000 tulips display their sensational spring blooms. Scattered across the Tithe Barn, The Secret Garden and the long east border of the castle’s historic East Wing, vibrant drifts of tulips will bring a kaleidoscope of colour and texture to the grounds, including delicate heritage varieties. Dotted amongst the borders will be fragrant hyacinth, sunny narcissus, soft hues of cyclamen, elegant fritillaria and some striking early gladiolus.
From 23rd April – 5th May, Giffords Circus will return with its iconic tent and wagons to Sudeley’s glorious grounds with its new show, Waterfield. Sudeley has been described by Giffords Circus as ‘one of the most beautiful grounds’ it visits every year and has been welcoming the circus since 2014.
Sudeley Castle’s Annual Pass is available again this year, giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy unlimited visits throughout the season and make the most of all that Sudeley Castle & Gardens has to offer (£35 for children, £80 for adults and £195 for a family – two adults, three children). A special reduced rate is available for those living in the GL54 area, enabling them to enjoy the wonders of Sudeley at their leisure (£17.50 for children, £40 for adults, £95 for a family – two adults, three children).
As ever during a visit to Sudeley Castle & Gardens, visitors can enjoy Sudeley’s historic exhibitions, castle rooms and chapel, notably the final resting place of Katherine Parr, the popular children’s adventure playground, and tasty treats from the Pavillion café and the Shepherd’s Hut, which serves delicious light bites and refreshments on your route.
For more information about what’s on at Sudeley Castle & Gardens, and to book tickets, visit www.sudeleycastle.co.uk.
(Main image credit: John Ord).
