Hestercombe Gardens
Latest Reviews
Been going to Hestercombe for years. It never fails to disappoint. The gardens are fantastic and you can walk for miles! Customer service in the restaurant is great and the cream tea is amazing!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Fantastic gardens. Cafe food was delicious and home made. A great day out.
Source: google.com
Simply beautiful
Source: google.com
Good value for money, formal garden is true to the origional designs with some new sympathetic planting. All kept in good condition.
Woodland walk around the property is recommended takes about an hour and is hilly but well worth the effort to get the views.
Have a stop off in the cafe and enyoy the ice cream.
Woodland walk around the property is recommended takes about an hour and is hilly but well worth the effort to get the views.
Have a stop off in the cafe and enyoy the ice cream.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We enjoyed a 2.5 hour visit to Hestercombe Gardens recently as we had an afternoon to kill in Taunton with a dog in tow! Plenty to look at in these Gardens, I would say it is more about garden buildings and design than it is plants, as no plants were labelled or details given and some places were a little less than manicured, but a lovely place to visit none the less. Beautiful pond with swans , interesting garden structures ( witch hut, pagoda, mausoleum, summerhouse etc etc ) around every corner and a well laid out path and walkway.
Victorian and Edwardian gardens designed by Lutyens and Gertrude Jeykell.
Is mostly suitable for buggies and wheelchairs but some areas were very steep and therefore more difficult to access for all.
Lovely cafe and shop also there with cream teas and ice cream, etc etc.
Victorian and Edwardian gardens designed by Lutyens and Gertrude Jeykell.
Is mostly suitable for buggies and wheelchairs but some areas were very steep and therefore more difficult to access for all.
Lovely cafe and shop also there with cream teas and ice cream, etc etc.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Very good to spend half a day walking all around the garden. Ideal for a long stroll in the woods. I can recommend this place.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
18 of for afternoon tea - we had 2 long tables in the Column Room, other tables in there for fellow diners. Poor them if a table for 2 with a noisy large crowd in the same room. Huge choice of teas which came in individual pots. 3 tiered cake stand per 2 guests, sandwiches, Pimms jelly, dainty cakes, scones - clotted cream and jam to share - could probably have done with a few more savoury pieces and it's not the cheapest £18.95 each - £6 extra if you want fizz. Children half price. You do get half price entry into the gardens which are delightful. Some of our party had done that first, to me though it looked as if you could get free access after the tea as the house is set within the gardens - try it that way round.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Came here as part of a present for my mum for her 70th Birthday treat, Firstly when it was booked nothing was mentioned about having to pay extra to get into House & Gardens where the Afternoon is held, Didnt know this until we arrived thankfully it was only an extra £5.50 per person half the usual entrance fee. What would have been good if they said that the afternoon Tea included entry to the House and Gardens, if you are working on a budget you then you need to know these things.
Had heard alot about the Afternoon Teas which was good, though when it arrived was somewhat disappointed in the lack of sandwiches and cakes, for 2 people, though thought the Jelly was nice and different and refreshing.
Gardens were well maintained nice selection of flowers some unusual, nice 2nd book shop within the house catering for all ages which is nice.
If you love gardens then you could easily spend the whole day here or during opening hours,
Due to the location you need a vehicle to get out to here, or visit as a group
Car parking is Free which is always nice to see.
Had heard alot about the Afternoon Teas which was good, though when it arrived was somewhat disappointed in the lack of sandwiches and cakes, for 2 people, though thought the Jelly was nice and different and refreshing.
Gardens were well maintained nice selection of flowers some unusual, nice 2nd book shop within the house catering for all ages which is nice.
If you love gardens then you could easily spend the whole day here or during opening hours,
Due to the location you need a vehicle to get out to here, or visit as a group
Car parking is Free which is always nice to see.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Lovely views and gardens
Source: google.com
Our visit to Hestercombe Gardens was really enjoyable. The formal gardens were designed by Gertrude Jekyll and have only fairly recently been restored to their former glory.
There is an area of woodland with walks for the more adventurous or a stroll around the formal gardens is a delight.
An excellent café completes any visit for tea and cake after your walk around the gardens.
There is an area of woodland with walks for the more adventurous or a stroll around the formal gardens is a delight.
An excellent café completes any visit for tea and cake after your walk around the gardens.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Visited on a wet and windy day and it was a really excellent visit. Lovely gardens and really good walks and restored buildings. Lots of history and helpful staff and volunteers. Once shop and cafe. The main restaurant looked pretty good as well. Great for kids and dogs on a lead.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
A thoroughly delightful garden with beautiful flowerbeds and countryside vistas, as well as an interesting house and good cafe.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Extensive gardens, excellent walks around the grounds, food a bit too elaborate & therefore quite expensive.
Source: google.com
This garden is immense with beautiful formal garden rooms, topiary and a longer walk through the heavily treed undulating hills behind the property. Along the walk there are many and varied viewing structures built many years ago to capture significant views of the garden and lake. This walk is not difficult, its enjoyable and very tranquil.
There are refreshments available and you can also tour the house which is as it was when acquired by the National Trust approx. 3 years ago. Parking was plentiful and only a short walk from the grand house. Well worth a visit if you like to wander in beautiful surroundings.
There are refreshments available and you can also tour the house which is as it was when acquired by the National Trust approx. 3 years ago. Parking was plentiful and only a short walk from the grand house. Well worth a visit if you like to wander in beautiful surroundings.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Visited with a group returning from Devon. Well signposted from Taunton. Parking close to the entrance. Plenty of paths to walkaround the lakes and formal gardens,well signed and easy to follow maps. The house is now open for viewing however much restoration is ongoing so not too much to see other than pictures of the estate history. A small but very busy Stables cafe served a large variety of food and snacks, many made to order. A plant and gift shop was also worth a visit. On a sunny day this is a very good place to enjoy, relax, picnic, or walk around.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Fabulous mix of informal and formal gardens PLUS great place to eat.
Source: google.com
Cost is quite expensive but lovely walks through the gardens and plenty of places to rest and just enjoy your surroundings. The main gardens near the house were lovely and we spent quite a bit of time there. The house was a huge disappointment, run down and empty except for a few bits of art on the walls. Take your own food as cafe is very expensive and there are lovely places to have a picnic.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
The formal gardens are beautiful and the landscaped valley is a pleasure.
A lovely place to spend a summers afternoon!
A lovely place to spend a summers afternoon!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Wonderful for the children to run around and burn off some energy! Great "trails and hunts" and lovely helpful staff!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Beautiful and tranquil. A really good cafe too. We like to go here on clear days. A good variety of plants, walks and buildings.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Beautiful formal gardens, lovely country walks and changing exhibitions in the house. This would be a lovely venue for a formal event such as a wedding. We have bought season tickets which is really good value and gives us a lovely place to go on the spur of the moment, just outside Taunton.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Lovely gardens, only slightly marred by us being there during a thunder storm. Went to the cafe for lunch and it was very, very good food, well prepared by a gifted chef. Wish I could talk to Hestercombe direct to congratulate him. Very well worth a visit.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
The gardens were absolutely stunning and we spent a fabulous 4 hours here as it takes a long time to walk around everywhere.
The long walks up to the tops of the slopes are worth it for the stunning views but the hills are steep if you're of limited mobility. Paths unsuitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs are clearly marked though.
The easily accessible formal gardens are worth the entry fee alone if you can't manage the slopes.
There's a lovely cafe and shop selling plants as well as the usual gift wares but it can get very busy at the weekends.
Hestercombe house houses a nice restaurant and a very odd 'gallery' - maybe we weren't 'arty' enough to appreciate it but I found some of the art a bit distasteful.
I would definitely return to the gardens but I wouldn't bother with the house.
The long walks up to the tops of the slopes are worth it for the stunning views but the hills are steep if you're of limited mobility. Paths unsuitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs are clearly marked though.
The easily accessible formal gardens are worth the entry fee alone if you can't manage the slopes.
There's a lovely cafe and shop selling plants as well as the usual gift wares but it can get very busy at the weekends.
Hestercombe house houses a nice restaurant and a very odd 'gallery' - maybe we weren't 'arty' enough to appreciate it but I found some of the art a bit distasteful.
I would definitely return to the gardens but I wouldn't bother with the house.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Wonderful gardens and scenery, much of which had wheelchair access. There were wheelchair so for hire and could be booked in advance. Lovely lunch in the stable cafe, reasonable prices. Shame the restaurant in the main house was small and therefore full, advise you book now advance.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
When we arrived, we had some yummy lunch at the cafe.
We walked around the gardens on the easter weekend, when they have an easter egg hunt for the children. The gardens were absolutely lovely, and you could even see the old water mill. I think that the gardens would look a lot better in summer, as the flowers would be in full bloom.
We were quite disappointed with the house, we were expecting it to have been restored to it's former glory, however since the fire brigade used it as their station, they haven't bothered to restore it, and were using it as a modern art gallery (most of the art that we saw was not to our taste either). The only bits that we were interested in were the original portraits that were left in the house.
I wouldn't come here again, unless I desperately wanted to view the gardens.
We walked around the gardens on the easter weekend, when they have an easter egg hunt for the children. The gardens were absolutely lovely, and you could even see the old water mill. I think that the gardens would look a lot better in summer, as the flowers would be in full bloom.
We were quite disappointed with the house, we were expecting it to have been restored to it's former glory, however since the fire brigade used it as their station, they haven't bothered to restore it, and were using it as a modern art gallery (most of the art that we saw was not to our taste either). The only bits that we were interested in were the original portraits that were left in the house.
I wouldn't come here again, unless I desperately wanted to view the gardens.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
