Local Reviews
In May 2025, Linda M said about Hestercombe Gardens
The gardens are beautiful and we particularly love walking through the woodland with the lovely bluebells on show. What does annoy us is the cafe is now a restaurant and a formal “ wait to be seated”set up. A woman is wandering around flashing menu’s around at 11.am when all we want is a coffee and maybe a cake. The management are obviously on a money making scheme and this is very off putting. The old cafe has now been turned into a book lending snug! Last summer we enjoyed having a coffee and occasional cake on the lawn but that’s all gone now.
Another irritant is the Wedding events . We were sitting on a bench in the landscape garden when we were told to leave as the bride would be walking past ! What a cheek if they don’t want the public there then the bridal party should have to pay Hestercombe to close it down that day to the public like other large venues do.
The grounds are wonderful but the way the place is run is not.
Another irritant is the Wedding events . We were sitting on a bench in the landscape garden when we were told to leave as the bride would be walking past ! What a cheek if they don’t want the public there then the bridal party should have to pay Hestercombe to close it down that day to the public like other large venues do.
The grounds are wonderful but the way the place is run is not.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In June 2025, floss143 said about Hestercombe Gardens
Hestercombe gardens are beautiful, well worth a visit.
On the downside, the café only sell cakes on Monday and Tuesday. We went in after 12.00 expecting to be able to buy something savoury, sandwich etc only to be told not available on these days. Very disappointing.
On the downside, the café only sell cakes on Monday and Tuesday. We went in after 12.00 expecting to be able to buy something savoury, sandwich etc only to be told not available on these days. Very disappointing.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In June 2025, Chris B said about Hestercombe Gardens
Hestercombe Gardens remain beautiful and extensive, and I’ve enjoyed many visits over the years.
The house once featured excellent art and photography exhibitions, but I didn’t renew my membership this year due to noticeable decline.
During my final year, the gift shop relocated, the cafe closed and there were no new exhibitions. The estate looked increasingly neglected—shuttered windows with weeds behind the glass, broken features like the turbine generator and AV tunnel display, and long-closed upper estate paths.
The much-loved self-service café, once offering quick drinks and snacks, has been replaced by a gift shop. The remaining restaurant is overpriced and inefficient for a simple coffee stop.
I understand funding may be limited as a charitable trust, but the absence of a basic café is a missed opportunity. Hosting exhibitions by local artists, college art departments and photographic clubs could revive interest and enhance the visitor experience.
The house once featured excellent art and photography exhibitions, but I didn’t renew my membership this year due to noticeable decline.
During my final year, the gift shop relocated, the cafe closed and there were no new exhibitions. The estate looked increasingly neglected—shuttered windows with weeds behind the glass, broken features like the turbine generator and AV tunnel display, and long-closed upper estate paths.
The much-loved self-service café, once offering quick drinks and snacks, has been replaced by a gift shop. The remaining restaurant is overpriced and inefficient for a simple coffee stop.
I understand funding may be limited as a charitable trust, but the absence of a basic café is a missed opportunity. Hosting exhibitions by local artists, college art departments and photographic clubs could revive interest and enhance the visitor experience.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In June 2025, Cruiser46765351446 said about Hestercombe Gardens
Beautiful wooded landscape up through the valley. The sun was shining, birds were singing and it was a wonderfully peaceful place to be walking. I did feel that far too much laurel had been planted though, seemingly to cheaply and easily fill in gaps. It meant colour was not as plentiful as it could be. Lutyens formal gardens were lovely and were obviously very well planted and tended. Well done the garden team.
My gripe would be food and drink. I wanted a cafe for a quick coffee stop but there wasn't one. Instead they have gone down the rather hoity toity route with a head waiter who pretty obviously looked down his nose at us. I don't need to be waited on and I don't want to pay extra for something I don't need. Inflated prices don't help either. Get rid of it. Make it a cafeteria style, reduce prices by 20%, I'm not going to pay £4.50 for an average slice of cake. Maybe have a separate coffee and snack 'to go' outlet where you can just pick something up without being seated. The restaurant is pretty obviously there to sting the foreign coach parties of which 3 were there. Finally the house. Get some interesting exhibitions going. It was good to read the history of the place but it could have been put into two rooms, not spread out thinly over lots.
My gripe would be food and drink. I wanted a cafe for a quick coffee stop but there wasn't one. Instead they have gone down the rather hoity toity route with a head waiter who pretty obviously looked down his nose at us. I don't need to be waited on and I don't want to pay extra for something I don't need. Inflated prices don't help either. Get rid of it. Make it a cafeteria style, reduce prices by 20%, I'm not going to pay £4.50 for an average slice of cake. Maybe have a separate coffee and snack 'to go' outlet where you can just pick something up without being seated. The restaurant is pretty obviously there to sting the foreign coach parties of which 3 were there. Finally the house. Get some interesting exhibitions going. It was good to read the history of the place but it could have been put into two rooms, not spread out thinly over lots.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In June 2025, Susan B said about Hestercombe Gardens
Interesting place to visit. The house is empty of furniture but still interesting to walk around. The gardens are lovely to walk around with formal planting.The cafe was nice. We only had 3 teas and 2 cakes and it did cost £19.50 which is a bit steep.
The plant sales area was definitely understocked (almost empty)and was just closing so if we had wanted to buy anything we were told we had to walk all the way back to the book shop to pay. Not ideal.
All in all a nice afternoon
The plant sales area was definitely understocked (almost empty)and was just closing so if we had wanted to buy anything we were told we had to walk all the way back to the book shop to pay. Not ideal.
All in all a nice afternoon
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In July 2025, Fingal72 said about Hestercombe Gardens
We had an enjoyable afternoon at Hestercomb Gardens and we had a terrific Sunday lunch in the cafe, it was plentiful and all well cooked . I believe the cafe has recently changed hands and we wish the new management the best of luck.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In July 2025, Yorkshire_Lass195725 said about Hestercombe Gardens
We last visited here about 7 years ago and really enjoyed our visit. As we were staying in the area we decided to visit again but this time with our daughter. We had a lovely walk round & visited both the house, saw the jacuzzi, and the book shop. It was a shame the waterfall wasn’t flowing but I found a previous photo on my phone to remind us! A good days visit.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In August 2025, Beti-Blodyn said about Hestercombe Gardens
As part of a coach trip, I and several others from the Midlands visited Hestercombe Gardens for the morning during the August heatwave. I'd never heard of this place before but we'd been given a little background info on the coach that Hestercombe was previously used as the headquarters and control room for the Devon & Somerset Fire Service. Currently the house is 'in between' functions - we'd just missed an exhibition there - so the main attraction is the garden.
You're still allowed to walk around the property, which I did. There's a little bit on the history of Hestercombe on the ground floor but the most interesting parts were (funnily enough) the disused rooms above, as it's so rare you can walk around a grand residence in such a state of emptiness. Of course, I hope Hestercombe takes advantage of their great USPs in the months and years to come, but the transience of it all felt like an extravagant house viewing.
After leaving the house, I wandered around the grounds for a while. The recent heat has been harsh on gardens across the country, and as a result Hestercombe sadly did look a little dried out (as you can see from my photos). That being said, it was still a very peaceful walk - not many visitors around at all - and the views of the unspoilt Somerset countryside are top notch.
As it was so warm, I stopped by the restaurant for some refreshments before checking out the second-hand bookshop. There's a surprisingly extensive menu including brunches and light-bites, so I plumped for a savoury scone with cream cheese and a pot of tea. It's a shame the pancakes are brunch-only as they sounded delicious! Prices are similar to National Trust and it's all table service - professional with a smile - so as a lone diner I could sit back and relax for a while. The restaurant has a beautiful fountain in its centre and is covered just enough to not have direct sun overhead, so it felt much cooler than sitting outside.
I'd personally rather funding go into the house and gardens rather than generating trinkets so it hasn't affected my overall blob-rating, but the 'gift shop' was a tiny makeshift shelter hidden around the back with (mostly) plastic kids' toys that you could pay for in the bookshop. The bookshop is definitely worth a browse though, there's some excellent finds in there - I only went in for a browse and came out with an armful! The shop was kept at a lovely cool temperature too which was a bonus. The volunteer manning the tills was friendly and best of all, you can tell she loves books!
All in all - not sure if I'd have paid £17 to visit had I been alone, but as I was here due to a pre-planned holiday itinerary it was a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. I look forward to hearing/seeing what Hestercombe do in future.
You're still allowed to walk around the property, which I did. There's a little bit on the history of Hestercombe on the ground floor but the most interesting parts were (funnily enough) the disused rooms above, as it's so rare you can walk around a grand residence in such a state of emptiness. Of course, I hope Hestercombe takes advantage of their great USPs in the months and years to come, but the transience of it all felt like an extravagant house viewing.
After leaving the house, I wandered around the grounds for a while. The recent heat has been harsh on gardens across the country, and as a result Hestercombe sadly did look a little dried out (as you can see from my photos). That being said, it was still a very peaceful walk - not many visitors around at all - and the views of the unspoilt Somerset countryside are top notch.
As it was so warm, I stopped by the restaurant for some refreshments before checking out the second-hand bookshop. There's a surprisingly extensive menu including brunches and light-bites, so I plumped for a savoury scone with cream cheese and a pot of tea. It's a shame the pancakes are brunch-only as they sounded delicious! Prices are similar to National Trust and it's all table service - professional with a smile - so as a lone diner I could sit back and relax for a while. The restaurant has a beautiful fountain in its centre and is covered just enough to not have direct sun overhead, so it felt much cooler than sitting outside.
I'd personally rather funding go into the house and gardens rather than generating trinkets so it hasn't affected my overall blob-rating, but the 'gift shop' was a tiny makeshift shelter hidden around the back with (mostly) plastic kids' toys that you could pay for in the bookshop. The bookshop is definitely worth a browse though, there's some excellent finds in there - I only went in for a browse and came out with an armful! The shop was kept at a lovely cool temperature too which was a bonus. The volunteer manning the tills was friendly and best of all, you can tell she loves books!
All in all - not sure if I'd have paid £17 to visit had I been alone, but as I was here due to a pre-planned holiday itinerary it was a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. I look forward to hearing/seeing what Hestercombe do in future.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In June 2021, Jane P said about Mercure Dunkenhalgh Hotel & Spa
We arrived at 3pm
And our room was not ready The first room we were checked into around the courtyard had an over powering smell of musty and damp so
We had to ask to move
Rooms have been refurbished
This hotel’s standards have dropped and it is not the place it was
We didn’t have time to use the spa
We had a shower only in the room -no shower cap
Poor quality coffee in the room in the sachets
Bed was comfortable
Breakfast was served in the function room which was like sitting in a school
Dining hall Very poor no tomatoes or mushrooms the scrambled egg had ran out and the server didn’t offer to get more Plates were cold so by the time you took the cooked breakfast to the table it was cold
We have been staying at this hotel for many years but there are now better options for the same money
Very disappointing
And our room was not ready The first room we were checked into around the courtyard had an over powering smell of musty and damp so
We had to ask to move
Rooms have been refurbished
This hotel’s standards have dropped and it is not the place it was
We didn’t have time to use the spa
We had a shower only in the room -no shower cap
Poor quality coffee in the room in the sachets
Bed was comfortable
Breakfast was served in the function room which was like sitting in a school
Dining hall Very poor no tomatoes or mushrooms the scrambled egg had ran out and the server didn’t offer to get more Plates were cold so by the time you took the cooked breakfast to the table it was cold
We have been staying at this hotel for many years but there are now better options for the same money
Very disappointing
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In June 2021, Paula said about Mercure Dunkenhalgh Hotel & Spa
Would highly recommend this hotel as they have some great deals and our room was lovely for the price. We really enjoyed using the pool and gym facilities too. I paid for a food package within this booking and we really enjoyed all the meals there too. But one of the best things about our stay was a lovely young waiter called Christopher who provided a great service and looked after us so well both in the restaurant and the bar. Thanks so much for being so attentive Christopher, we loved our stay in the dunkenhalgh for our anniversary and look forward to staying with you again soon.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk