Local Reviews
In October 2022, keith h said about Hestercombe Gardens
We visited on a beautiful late Summer day. The gardens are certainly attractive & of course historically important given the Jekyll / Lutyens collaboration. Have not visited before but I could discern that the gardens , particularly the formal areas around the house , are suffering a slow decline in quality & maintenance. They are labour intensive. The more naturalistic areas further up the valley are still very peaceful & pleasant , water being a recurrent theme . The views away from the formal gardens are stunning.
The House was a great disappointment apart from the superb staircase & a wood panelled room. At the time of our visit , many rooms were housing an art exhibition cum installation exhibition which , at the risk of appearing to be a complete Philistine , I can only describe as hideous.
The House was a great disappointment apart from the superb staircase & a wood panelled room. At the time of our visit , many rooms were housing an art exhibition cum installation exhibition which , at the risk of appearing to be a complete Philistine , I can only describe as hideous.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In November 2022, Charlotte P said about Hestercombe Gardens
Dog friendly and the member of staff that served us was absolutely delightful, couldn’t have wished for better. Lovely light lunch, something different.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In November 2022, Springbreak said about Hestercombe Gardens
Loved the gardens! Beautiful scenery, just stunning. Gorgeous grounds surrounded by mature trees, very relaxing. The three ponds and the many different structures along the walking routes provide lovely rest stops to fully appreciate the amazing views.
Visited the house to find three ground floor rooms, one an impressive looking but pricey gift shop, another housing just family portraits and a third displaying information easels. Found a fantastic second-hand book shop down a corridor. Great choice of books all under £3. There's an art gallery on the upper floor, the exhibition sadly didn't interest us at all although the views were worthwhile. The house seems to be a bit neglected in some areas but it has a great double access gallery staircase adorned by a giant painting.
The cafe is situated behind another gift shop in a large atrium with a fountain. Nice surroundings, good choice of food options but again pricey. We didn't have enough time left to sample the food but the coffee was good.
We will definitely re-visit, mainly for the spectacular grounds.
Visited the house to find three ground floor rooms, one an impressive looking but pricey gift shop, another housing just family portraits and a third displaying information easels. Found a fantastic second-hand book shop down a corridor. Great choice of books all under £3. There's an art gallery on the upper floor, the exhibition sadly didn't interest us at all although the views were worthwhile. The house seems to be a bit neglected in some areas but it has a great double access gallery staircase adorned by a giant painting.
The cafe is situated behind another gift shop in a large atrium with a fountain. Nice surroundings, good choice of food options but again pricey. We didn't have enough time left to sample the food but the coffee was good.
We will definitely re-visit, mainly for the spectacular grounds.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In December 2022, Annie said about Hestercombe Gardens
The experience was alot quicker than expected. The elf welcomed us where the children made reindeer food and did some word searches and wrote letters to Santa to post in the box. It would have been good to have some general colouring or Christmas card making/sticking for smaller children who are not able to do word searches yet. The children enjoyed Santa and loved their presents.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In December 2022, Angie L said about Hestercombe Gardens
I treated my husband for a birthday present to see the illuminations. Wow! We were not disappointed, they were amazing. Such a beautiful evening, so many to see. We walked around the lake with lights all around. Thank you to Hestercombe for all their hard work.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In February 2023, trescomania said about Hestercombe Gardens
Loved the gardens / very quirky with unusual buildings dotted about. Snowdrops were stunning. Fantastic licensed cafe. Make great cheese scones served with cream cheese and chutney
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In April 2023, Helen T said about Hestercombe Gardens
Visited during the Easter holidays. We didn't think the house was anything special, nothing much in it and other than an exhibition of boards to read not worth bothering. The grounds and gardens were a delight though, plenty of paths, follies, lakes, views and great for getting out and about in nature.
Very slow service in the cafe, not enough staff and clearly couldn't cope.
Very slow service in the cafe, not enough staff and clearly couldn't cope.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In May 2023, louiseholistic said about Hestercombe Gardens
We really enjoyed our first ever visit here. Surprised that there is no reduction for seniors, we paid £29 for two adults without Gift Aid. The architectural art exhibition upstairs in the house was baffling, but the house itself was obviously stunning in its day and it was lovely to have access, admire the views and the elaborate plasterwork. The gardens were truly magnificent, we especially loved the Edwardian collaboration between Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens, it felt very secluded and well thought out, with far reaching views across the countryside. The borders were well kept and weed free. The gift shops were well stocked with high quality, local crafts and locally grown plants in the plant centre. We can’t comment on the cafe as we brought a picnic with us. Plenty of seating throughout the gardens. We plan to return at a different time of year to appreciate the planting and have lunch.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In May 2023, Evanitamushroom said about Hestercombe Gardens
Gardens are beautiful and a great mix of formal and informal , super friendly staff and amazingly delicious cakes in the tea room.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In May 2023, Peter R said about Hestercombe Gardens
We came here on 19th May 2023, via Taunton where we had been staying. It was a lovely warm late spring day, so good weather for a classic country House garden. We arrived shortly after opening at 10.00 and had coffee at the little restaurant. The gardens and grounds are not on a colossal scale and we were able to comfortably tour most of the property in about 2 hours. The landscaped areas were very good. The formal gardens are smaller than one might imagine, and my wife expressed a slight disappointment at the plantings, but I thought them charming. Obviously, one needs to come spring, summer and autumn to see the changing palettes of colour and form, but as we live in Birmingham, this is not an option! The house itself is a shadow of its former grandeur, having been kicked around during the war and after, and there is little to see except for a gallery of contemporary art, a gift shop (did not look especially interesting), and a 'second-hand' bookshop. This latter excited my imagination, but it was rather disappointing. True, there were some 'pre-owned' stuff, but quite a bit of the shelves were occupied by what looked like 'remaindered' items.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk