Welford Park

Welford Park is a country house in Welford, England, displaying red brick classical architecture with a central three-story block and two symmetrical side wings. The estate extends across wooded grounds along the River Lambourn, with mature trees planted in the 18th century connecting formal gardens to informal woodland paths.

The site began as a farm property of Abingdon Abbey in medieval times and became a royal hunting lodge after 1540 when Henry VIII acquired it. The current structure dates largely from the early 1600s when the Eyre family rebuilt the house and has remained in their hands ever since.

The name Welford comes from Old English 'welig' meaning willow, reflecting the water meadows that still border the property today. During February, thousands of visitors walk quietly through the woodland carpets of white flowers that have naturalized here over centuries.

The estate opens in late winter for snowdrop visits, with paths through the woods mostly level and grassy. Tours focus on the outdoor areas while the house itself remains privately occupied and closed to the public.

The large white tent structure that stood on the lawn during the baking show filming is long gone, but visitors sometimes recognize the view from the house toward the woods. The snowdrops visitors see today grow from bulbs introduced over 100 years ago that now self-seed throughout the grounds.