Hestercombe Gardens
Latest Reviews
Lovely gardens. Cafe bit disapointing, they pride themselves on their chef, but the food is so disapointing. The cakes and deserts are awful. Xmas fairs charge shoppers £3 to look at stalls! And that's before the gates! And they charge the stall holders....so that's three pound less to spend on stalls, surely the whole point is to get people out there, who may consider then paying to go into gardens or buy off stall holders? Like I say, gardens good, don,t bother with anything else.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We loved visiting these beautiful gardens, and learning about the history of the area.
Great food and the staff were very nice!
Great food and the staff were very nice!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
The formal gardens were very pretty and we enjoyed the walk round the lakes, we had taken a picnic and we were disappointed that we could not take our picnic into the gardens so we could spend a long time chatting and relaxing instead you have to use the area provided next to the entrance and the children's playground,so not very easy to have a conversation and a glass of wine
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Food was great at the courtyard but the cost to enter the gardens was far too expensive. Was not worth it
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We absoltuely loved Hestercombe. The formal gardens are incredible and the layout and hardscape make you want to go home and start redesigning. Really enjoyed it.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
There is a lovely walk around the grounds, thourgh the wooded areas, and finally to the formal garden which was full of gladiolis.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
My friend just got married here and it was just beautiful. The view was heavenly, and the scent from the flowers was great. The ceremony was in the orangery which was very pretty. The food was great too.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
An excellent Edwardian garden planned on the soacious style of thise days with immaculate Gertrude Jeckyll-type colour co-odinated planting: several feature areas such as long water garden, great herbaceous beds, etc -- plus another, larger, older one with temples and buildings: entirely diffeent in character. Both extremely enjoyable and material for two visis instead of just one! The atmosphere is relaxing and restful despite the large number of visitors
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Plenty of parking
Gardens lovely peaceful place to visit
Also been here to 2 weddings weddings in the Orangery, and after in the big hall - two wonderful days.
Food in the cafe exceptional been several times.
Will go back
Gardens lovely peaceful place to visit
Also been here to 2 weddings weddings in the Orangery, and after in the big hall - two wonderful days.
Food in the cafe exceptional been several times.
Will go back
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
These are really lovely gardens with something for all the family. Children can play in the brook, summerhouses, woods and grassed areas. Garden enthusiasts can enjoy the fantastic Gertrude Jekyll formal gardens. My only criticism is that labelling of plants and trees would have been helpful. The cafe at the gardens is excellent.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
The gardens are magnificent with a good deal of history. You get a guide with a map to show you the way and ensure you don't miss anything. One can choose a short or longer walk.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
My wife and I visited this garden whilst on holiday in Somerset. I had previously visited the garden with my late mother just after the gardens were opened to the public. It was amazing to see how so much hard by everybody concerned has paid off. The differences that I perceived were much in evidence an it is now possible to see the vision of originator in the current landscape. It is clear that there is still much to and it will be a full lifetime at least before the plantings mature to fulfil the original vision. However the mature tree plantings in the woodland area really do set off the gardens. The formal gardens clearly need further development, and over time they will come into their own. We really enjoyed our visit and found the whole ambience of the place very attractive.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Gardens lovely, Grounds really poor, food average and overpriced therfore
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Love this place. Gorgeous grounds, lovely tea rooms and shop. Perfect for a relaxing day. Kids love it too.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
I have been to this garden many times and love it....also excellent cafe and plant shop
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We had heard lots about Hestercombe, and that it was worth a visit, first on the agendq was a cream tea, beautiful, the gardensi thought, were a bit of a let down, we went 1st July & expected a nice show of flowers but except from nice rose's there was'nt much colour in the garden, on the other hand the woodland walk was smashing, well worth going for.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
I arranged a birthday lunch part for 30 friends to be held in the courtyard [if sunny] or the Lutyens room.The weather was not on our side but the staff did a wonderful job in catering for our every need. All the staff both before and on the day could not have been more helpful and pleasant. The lunch was exactly as we ordered and delicious.It was beautifully presented and tasted every bit as good as it looked. We could not have aked for more - our only negative was the weather which prevented us from totally appreciating our beautiful surroundings and walking off a few of those excess calories!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
This is a beautiful half day visit - wonderfully restored garden. Food first class too.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
This is a 'must' visit and make sure you have lunch - the food is delicious and very well presented. The staff couldn't have been more helpful and friendly and bent over backwards to accommodate our every need. the gardens were lovely even though it was raining so in the sun they must be even more special. Please visit - you will miss a gem if you don't.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
My mum had wnated to visit these gardens for a long time and we holidayed in Cheddar so drove there for the day. First impressions were good - we needed disabled parking and it was there...we strolled (with a wheeled pusher) along the flat to get a light lunch...staff were friendly and food was lovely. We then went to get the stair lift to the entrance...broken. It was a long walk round (comparative - for able bodied only a few hundred yards) for Mum but such is the power of the mind! We were given a map of walks including a "no steps" one - great idea, however it was full of slopes - again hard work for her. The central gardens in front of the house were very pretty but I really can't say it was the effort...there was not a huge selection of plants although the roses smelt heavenly.
So did the strawberry jam in the cream tea that we forced down afterwards!
The shop is nice albeit small and the plants were a good selection, all healthy and reasonably priced.
So did the strawberry jam in the cream tea that we forced down afterwards!
The shop is nice albeit small and the plants were a good selection, all healthy and reasonably priced.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
I visited these gardens at the beginning of June 2012. The weather was very kind that day so I saw the gardens at their best. Over recent years a great deal of money and effort has been spent on restoring these gardens to their former glory but have not been overly manicured. It has been beautifully done and for me the outstanding feature was the amount of stonework used in the garden in such a creative way so as to blend in completely with the surroundings and the landscaping of the garden. The house is not open to the public but there is more than enough to see in the garden to make a lovely day out. There is also at least one cafe for lunch/tea. A thoroughly enjoyable day and one of the nicest gardens I have seen.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
A lot of work has been carried out to the gardens at Hestercombe to make it a place where families can come and enjoy a very enjoyable half day out. The grounds contain a woodland walk, large lake, waterfall and interesting follies but the crowning glory has to be the formal garden, with its stunning roses and perennials of all varieties - a real treat for the eyes and the nose! There is a good and reasonably priced cafe/restaurant and a decent shop selling the usual gifts plus a good selection of garden plants.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
The gardens here are well worth a visit at this time of year when the roses and foxgloves are blooming. The garden here is so well planted, and a vista from every angle. The building is not attractive, and some of the restoration of other buildings leaves a lot to be desired (municipal bricks), but the garden more than makes up for this, as does the walk up the valley with it's suprises (buildings and follies). Food in the cafe was good, and mostly made fresh to order.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We visited Hestercombe Gardens for a friends wedding and we weren't disappointed. The views were a perfect backdrop for the photographs, the Orangerie was a beautiful venue for the service and the catering and service was second to none.
I would definitely recommend this venue for day trips (the views and the gardens really are spectacular) or for a wedding venue.
I would definitely recommend this venue for day trips (the views and the gardens really are spectacular) or for a wedding venue.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We enjoyed the gardens considering the amount of rain lately but were disappointed by the prices and autocratic manner and attitude of what appeared to be a senior member of the catering staff towards his staff and ourselves and others behind us waiting to be served in the cafe area.
We will not be returning to Hestercombe!!
We will not be returning to Hestercombe!!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
