Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire
The chateau-style manor house is closed until spring, but the Victorian gardens are open every day with their aviary, grotto and outdoor cafes. Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild created the gardens when he began building Waddesdon Manor in 1874. The grounds are now a galanthophile’s paradise featuring 120,000 snowdrops. By March, the daffodil valley will be a lake of yellow; three-quarters of a million daffodil bulbs have been planted across the estate. Blue scillas and golden aconites are already budding under tall, bare trees. Plenty of evergreens too, including fan palms around the parterre and miles of neatly-clipped hedges.
The grounds are open Wednesday-Sunday from 2 February, £13.20/£6.60 for adults/children, free for NT, RHS, Historic Houses and Art Fund members, waddesdon.org.uk
