Abbotswood, Gloucestershire

Abbotswood is a Cotswold stone country house with an L-shaped form in Lower Swell, equipped with multiple rooms and a grand staircase. Designer Edwin Lutyens created the formal gardens surrounding the house with structured layouts and distinct areas.

The estate has roots before the Norman Conquest, when it existed under various owners in that period. The connection between Upper and Lower Swell villages has shaped the location since those early times.

The gardens show early 20th-century English design with their careful arrangement of water features and planted areas. Visitors can see how different garden sections connect and reflect the changing seasons through planting choices.

The house sits between Upper and Lower Swell and can be reached via the B4077 road with clear markers for visitors. The layout of different building and garden areas takes time to explore, but paths are easy to follow.

A rose variety bearing the property's name was discovered in the kitchen gardens during the 1950s. Rosa canina 'Abbotswood' remains a small botanical reminder of the place's past.

Location: Swell

GPS coordinates: 51.93505,-1.73784

Latest update: December 12, 2025 07:53