Galanthus galore
20th January 2026
Snowdrops at Oxburgh © Mike Selby
’Tis snowdrop season and there’s a host of Norfolk places to visit with wonderful drifts of these beauties; from special open garden events to historic and woodland spaces, here are 10 great walks to see them in all their glory. Galanthophiles, get set… go!
Wander through 18 acres of grounds and woodland at Walsingham Abbey where carpets of snowdrops grow alongside aconites, against a backdrop of the imposing ruins of the medieval Priory of our Lady of Walsingham. Open daily from 26 January to 1 March, 10am to 4pm. This year’s charity day is on 14 February, in aid of Norfolk hospice Tapping House.
The mature three-acre garden at Chestnut Farm in West Beckham, near Holt, is home to 100+ varieties of snowdrops and will open on 25 January and 22 February for the National Garden Scheme. During the season, there are good shows of crocus, aconites and seasonal flowering shrubs, too. 11am to 4pm, also open by arrangement.
Pensthorpe’s Wave Garden, designed by RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winter Julie Toll, is another great spot, where snowdrops, sculpture and ponds combine beneath a tall canopy of native oak and birch trees. Look out too, for narcissus and hellebores and don’t miss the new look on-site café, perfect for refuelling! Open daily.
With its parkland with lake and river walks, 17th century Lexham Hall near Litcham will open its gardens on 8 and 15 February, for the National Garden Scheme. See woodlands and borders carpeted with snowdrops. 11am to 4pm.
The Winter Garden at Blickling (behind the 18th century Orangery) mingles snowdrops with hellebores, witch hazels and daphne. You’ll love the early daffodils, too, with Narcissus ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’ flowering from early January, followed by Narcissus lobularis, commonly known as the Lent lily. Gardens open daily.
Surrounded by farmland, Bagthorpe Hall boasts a lovely circular walk, which meanders through a display of snowdrops naturally carpeting the woodland floor. You can visit on 22 February, when it’s open for the National Garden Scheme, 11am to 4pm.
Hoveton Hall Estate is hosting snowdrop tours with lunch on 10, 12 and 15 February. Guided by their head gardener, you’ll visit areas not usually open to the public. Afterwards, you’ll be given a tour of this Regency hall by the owner. From 11am.
Take a guided walk with the owners of Brinton Hall, near Melton Constable, around their historic garden on 15 February, with its large drifts of snowdrops and numerous cultivars. You’ll cross over a meadow to the lake, where there are specimen trees and shrubs planted for winter interest and scent. 10.30am to 3pm, for the National Garden Scheme.
Discover more about snowdrops at Oxburgh Estate. On select dates from 29 January to 2 March, you can enjoy a snowdrop tour led by a volunteer, learning about the flower, spot different varieties and explore the grounds, blanketed in white. On 3, 9, 21 and 22 February, a member of the garden team will lead exclusive tours, providing insight into the snowdrops and spring bulbs carpeting Oxburgh’s woodlands. Gardens open daily.
Have a Valentine’s outing to Horstead House on 14 February, with its stunning snowdrops and winter flowering shrubs. Also of note are the dogwoods growing on a small island in the River Bure, which flows through the garden. 11am to 4pm, for the National Garden Scheme.
Visit websites for entry prices and any booking requirements.
