We pay an annual subscription . If you visit the gardens at different times through out the year , you will always be able to see the wonderful changing seasons at Hestercombe. The video has recently been updated. It is excellent and explains the history of Hestercombe .
The Lake is beautiful reflecting the tall fir trees. The watermill has been restored and is working. The gardens are amazing and the little bit of WW2 history tucked away on a hill is interesting.
A really great attraction to have on your doorstep

Lots to explore here, beautiful plants if you are interested, peaceful place to sit and walk either way. Plenty of parking (which is always useful!)

so much to see and enjoy as well as delightful views and a well stocked garden lakes fountain and cafe
warm welcome

Beautiful gardens, lovely water features, informative AV presentation of the history of the gardens and their restoration, excellent restaurant/tea room and tempting gift and plant shop!

I always find the lake walk and the formal Jekyll garden a delight here. Even though there always seem to be many visitors at the start, things soon sort themselves out and one feels more alone shortly. A delightful walk with many diversions to scenically interesting artefacts along the way. The Jekyll garden with rills, beds and the archwayed boundary are stunning. The shop is interesting, as is the plant centre but I, personally, feel the catering area is uncomfortable tho' the actual food is all right.

A really nice day out. lots of lovely things to look at even in winter. It can take a long time to walk around the whole garden and woodland area, so take cold drinks. Lovely restaurant for a nice meal after. Interesting items in the shop. Enjoy

Like a lot of attractions in England, these gardens can seem expensive, but they are very pleasant to wander round on a summer's day and even better if you catch one of their special events, such as when they set up lights all around that make for a truly magical visit.

Hestercombe can be quite difficult to find down small lanes but it is a very relaxing place to wander around and pass an afternoon, with long walks and some very pretty plants to see too. The cafe is extremely good. All-in-all well worth a visit.

Super place to visit gardens are interesting and the large garden/park garden to the rear is really lovely. Setting lovely and very good cafe at the house.

Glad we went. Really lovely garden with lots of interesting features. good catering. Quite steep in places but accessible for must people.

I loved walking around the gardens with my parents, it was peaceful, relaxed and I felt really inpired to do my garden the next day!

Although slightly difficult to find, there is plenty of parking and also level walks for the less mobile. The herb garden just to the left at the entry to the cafe is worth a look and you can relax on the bench while taking in the scent of the surrounding herbs - it looks like you're trespassing in someone's home but you're free to be there. Each month has it's own delights in the gardens and the cafe is very good though perhaps a little short on seating. There are plants for sale and also a shop with gifts and cards.

While staying overnight in the area, we had two hours to fill in the morning before going to an afternoon celebration and so visited Hestercombe Gardens. We were fortunate to be there on a beautiful warm, sunny morning. Although we would have loved to stay longer we had enough time to get a good taste of the gardens. We enjoyed the short video presentations showing the history of the house and the restoration of the gardens. We particularly liked the Victorian Terrace and the Great Plat and would have loved to have stayed longer just sitting in one of the delightful little areas looking at the arrangement of the the colours in the gardens as designed by Gertrude Jekyll and at the countryside beyond. We did not have time to visit many of the features north of the house but hopefully will visit again if in the area. Entrance fee is £9, including a donation to the Hestercombe Gardens Trust but that was at least of equal value to the pleasure and peaceful feelings that we experienced.

Excellent gardens, not cheap but I suspect this reflects the upkeep and does not reduce its popularity! Cakes often look nice but taste disappointsngly cheap and find paying entry to fairs such as the Xmas fair a cheeck! The traders would have also paid and this takes cash you could spend with them! Most would go on to pay entry to the garden after and the fairs surely attract more passing trade.

Went to a wedding, the food was fantastic, plenty of it, we could have gone back for more. Excellent and attention to details by all the staff. Would recommend.

Beautifully laid out gardens We liked it all, There was nothing we didn't like. Interesting features, very well maintained. There is a good gift shop, lovely restaurant, nice food,One can eat outside in good weather. Interesting architectural historical home. Well marked walks Well worth a visit.

These gardens have extensive areas of woodland paths, with streams and lakes. There are several seats/shelters, all with different views so that you can sit and enjoy the landscape.

Nearer the entrance, there is a beautiful terrace garden, which leads into the formal gardens. These are planted with a mixture of annuals and perennials, which gives a lovely soft effect, rather than the bedding plants which feature in so many formal gardens. Water plays a big part in these gardens, with rills (paved streams) and ponds, as well as a couple of small fountains. There are several small sections of these gardens, which lead down steps into the next section, so there is plenty to discover. My only gripe was the shortage of seats in this area!

There is a cafe/restaurant with both inside and outside seating. We found the service was rather slow, but the food was worth waiting for - I definitely recommend the chicken breast in white wine and mushroom sauce! They cater for coeliacs and vegetarians. Prices are on a par with similar properties (£6.95 - £9.95 for a main course).

Dogs are allowed throughout the grounds on a lead, including the outside seating area, and there are a few dog waste bins (marked on the map).

Wheelchair users come in at half price (plus a free carer), but are not able to access all the grounds because of steps and steep slopes. The map shows clearly where they can go. Manual wheelchairs can be borrowed. The formal gardens are not fully accessible, although there is one part where wheelchairs can get in to a bit of them. There should be a wheelchair platform from the ticket office to the cafe/restaurant, but this was out of order when we visited, although there was a sloping entrance to it from the car park which we were able to use. Designated disabled parking spaces in the car park. Most paths are gravel or hard earth. Both toilet blocks had a disabled access toilet.

Picnics are not allowed in the grounds, but there is a picnic area near the car park, and you can go back to your car and re-enter the grounds afterwards.

Ugly house with stunning gardens. A must see in this area. Excellent care too. My wife raved about the garden design (Lutyens) and planting (GJ). I could not care less about gardens really but even I was impressed.

We went to the 'fete' and booked on line for a discount.
Take a pic nic but leave it in the car and go back at lunchtime as the picnic benches are outside the gardens, but by a small play area & have a great view & some shade. The gardens are beautiful, from large landscaped expanses to the idyllic walled garden area. Take a camera and have fun as I did. The children enjoyed exploring & grandparents sat & enjoyed the views.

A fantstic place to visit whether your your or old , but bloody expensive to get in ,i know the gardens need a lot of upkeep but please dont turn it into some sort of theme park for plants sometimes the natural beauty of something is bettter

A world famous garden, incorporating designs from the eighteenth and twentieth ceturies by important architects and garden designers, and magnificently restored and tended. Well worth a visit, although I thought the restaurant was a shade pricey.

The introductory film showing the history of the reclaiming of the gardens is fascinating, such a lot of hard work and it shows, the gardens are extensive with beautiful walks through woods and by the large ponds etc. Wonderful views of the surrounding countryside from the top meadows. The formal gardens are still undergoing restoration but still very interesting. The bluebells were stunning.

We've visited here on numerous occasions, on our own, with family, and with friends. We've been on different times throughout the year, spring, summer, autumn, winter, and it's always memorable, relaxing and very beautiful. our dogs love it here too and are always welcomed.

Wonderful late spring day out visiting this historic garden which did not disappoint even though it rained the whole day. Beautifully restored and cared for and a must for all garden enthusiasts. Surprisingly large, a slow amble round the whole site takes at least two hours although the important formal Edwardian garden can be visited in an hour. A real treasure in every sense. I recommend the stables café for the quality of the food. Don't be put off by the prices, at the time I visited a BLT was £6 but what arrived was all but a main meal with its accompanying salad, crisps and giant cous cous and massive home made brown bread slices. very tasty day out all round. Visit late spring for bluebells and later for summer bedding. Glorious gardens.

Went for a wedding reception and the venue was outstanding. From what we saw both walking around and from photos a beautiful place