Hestercombe Gardens Trust Review

Love this garden, its so relaxing. The cafe can get really busy, recommend taking a coffee on a nice walk.

Tips go when it rains with wells and an umbrella. It's magical and less people around :)

Great outdoor space, lots of interesting structures for you to sit in and absorb the views from.

Like the place was gonna use it for a function earlier in the year, tried to cancel in plenty of time, but they declined the return of deposit, be very sure before booking with them as they are not good at refunds for whatever the reason, such a shame the only black cloud over the place, cant give recommendations because of this

This place is really nice to look around with the wooded walks,waterfall and lakes it s formal gardens are a delight to walk around at every turn there is somewhere different to explore.The magnificent gardens are full of amazing colourful flowers and some of the views are a treat for sore eyes,it is such a tranquil place with several water features to relax the mind.There is also the Stables.cafe which serves up some delicious food and a lovely little on site shop with great gifts for everyone.If in the area and like looking around places like this it s a must do to put on your list as it is a great day out.

The gardens were beautiful. However, very little has been done to preserve the houses originality. Nor is there much information to tell you about the house and it's original owners etc. The addition of certain structures to the garden seemed unnecessary and took away the authenticity of the place

Lovely walk around in the winter sunshine today, a lot of snowdrops out and the daffodils won't be long now.

Beautiful gardens and grounds, lots of exploring to do. Very good cakes in the cafe but lousey coffee

Lovely walk, cracking house and brilliant wedding venue

Stunning historic gardens - Lutyens & Jekyll , what's not to like! The fabulous landscape gardens have interesting follies, temples & quirky buildings scattered along a beautiful walk, with wonderful plants, trees & bushes - & a Victorian garden too! . Lovely restaurant with tasty food, & a good shop & plant sales. Helpful, friendly staff. Interesting videos of the house & garden's history. Fabulous day out.

Ugly, muddy and fake. Also the 2017 ice rink was the worst ive ever been. Went to ice rink in Bristol after 5 minutes

Only visited here to have lunch and wow what a lovely place. The outdoor seating for the cafe was beautiful and the food was great too. Will definitely be back to explore the gardens another day.

Didn't get chance to go around the gardens but found a hidden gem of a hairdressers and beauty salon on site.

Lunch in the Column Restaurant
Thanks to my Brother for a great Christmas present (groupon meal for 2 inc glass of wine)
Only eaten in the Cafe before. This was a wonderful suprise, lovely dining room with views over Taunton to the Blackdown hills.
The quality of food was top notch and beautifullly presented. The chocolate torte (brownie) with caramelised banana ice cream was to die for. I'm not prone to writing reviews but this was exceptional.
It appears the sweet was so good I've added the photo 3 times! sorry.

Really impressive job has been done on restoring these gardens to their original splendor. In particular, the design of the garden, the quality of the hard landscaping, and the variety of the planting are inspiring. Some lovely walks around the grounds to, both shorter and medium length. Splendid.

Nice garden. Only we were a little too early in March, although there were some things to see. Also nice outside area for a nice walk.

Had a good short walk around then had a most enjoyable meal in the restaurant... I would well recommend the food and the service here....

Lovely visit ( our first). Glorious walks finishing in Victorian formal gardens with its superb views south....just sat on a bench listening to bird song. Finally cafe & Plant centre. All staff helpful & friendly.

It was a wonderful day out. We had such a fabulous time. X also doggy friendly which was great for us. X

Beautiful house and gardens. We've been twice and haven't discovered all of the gardens yet. The restaurant is lovely, the food is yummy. And we enjoyed the art installations in the house

The garden as well as green houses are beautiful, and our guide gave so much nice insight. Will definitely be coming back,may to see the Rose garden bloom in may!

Best part was the formal gardens as the informal gardens were not looked after in the same wsy

Wonderful garden. Beautifully restored and managed. A jewel of a place.

Really enjoyed our egg hunt and bluebell walk here. The views across Somerset were breathtaking.

Disappointed paid 12.60 for a christ.as fair was there 30min rip off

Considering I have lived near here for ages I have not visited before, and last weekend I decided to visit. I took my little boy (2) and I have to say we had a lovely walk taking in all the scenery. Will defiantly be visiting again soon.

It's been a hot summer, so it's to be expected that gardens might be showing signs of wear. But when we visited it was really tatty. Roses left undeadheaded. Patchy borders full of dying plants. I'm sure it's tough to run a place like this as a charity but the entrance fee is substantial so it was inevitable that we felt let down. It just felt poorly managed. We wanted lunch but a tenner for a sandwich in a cramped, grubby courtyard? A shame as this is a garden of great historic interest, and some of the current planting is still imaginative. It's hard not to wish it had the might of the National Trust behind it.

Garden and waterfall are nice but house was a huge disappointment. Not 1 room was furnished in period.

Very handy local spot to visit for a few hours and get some fresh air.

Good cafe, great gardens and membership is excellent value

Lovely old Manor house in Somerset, well worth a visit. Nice walk around the gardens and then a very good Cream Tea to finish.

Great place for a walk or to stop by the cafe for food or a cup of tea. Events for children and everyone throughout the year.

Great service and Beautiful landscape
Good value for your money.
All charity should work like this

Always visiting Hestercombe Gardens a fantastic and relaxing place, if you like walking with stunning views and magnificent formal gardens then this is for you.

Lovely afternoon out value for money.Walked around the grounds visited second hand bookshop gift shop and plant shop. Had lunch in the restaurant excellent food and service will definitely go back for the cream tea.

Great place. Nice to see the mill working (the mill only works a few times a year as it is an original piece) the large gardens over a nice relaxed environment to calm down in our just downs a nice day out in. The one complaint that I have is that the cafe is rather pricey. On yes its local handmade items but it can get quite expensive. It is not free and you will have to pay, I do not know the prices unfortunately. The best time to visit would be in summer as the gardens have a tenancy to become muddy and slippy in the wet months. Enjoy your visit.

Lovely gardens, definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. We were fortunate to go when the Bluebells were out.

An oasis of peace and calm. Well laid out walks, beautiful gardens and wonderful views.

Inaccessible by bus, only by car. Not very environmentally friendly.

A wonderful place, such beautiful and well maintained gardens. Staff very helpful and top drawer facilities.

What a disaster. Too many people poor service no room at the cafe or restaurant. Won't be going again to any "events".

Beautiful parkland for walking and historic formal gardens. A slope of snowdrops is lovely just now.

I really liked the garden, in the best English traditions. A large area where to take a walk and at the end a regular garden for "sweet" were in early August.

Great place to visit and delicious cakes in the cafe

Beautiful and breath taking gardens, vistas and stately home. The food while a bit expensive is well worth it.

Not at all wheelchair friendly during Christmas fair very stressful

Beautiful gardens, so many areas to visit. Gorgeous day when we went. We went to the posh restaurant and was therefore given 1/2 price entry into the garden. Lunch was quite limited in choice but very tasty ! We had spinach roulade and lamb. Bread was home made and even still warm !!


You also now have access to the amazing house. Wheelchairs to borrow and plenty of parking.

Lovely garden and the house was hosting an intriguing art gallery.

Some of the best gardens in the UK and a whole day out. Would li6ve to see the inside of the house returned to its former glory one day to match the beautiful gardens.

Only a short visit to the play area and cafe but very impressed by the quality of food on offer. However some members of the group found the food too fancy and would have preferred some simpler options

Lovely gardens which are constantly improving and cared for. The front Edwardian garden is the highlight. Godd cafe and shop. The house was the old fire station headquarters so it has taken a bit of a beating inside but I think this adds to the charm.

It's obviously been difficult to keep the gardens pristine with reduced staff during lockdown but this is clearly signed and explained as you arrive. Still the formal gardens are beautiful and the informal gardens expansive. We would have liked a bit more information about the place itself and the things there. Dunster gardens had a whole section on the history of the site and the gardens and I feel hestercombe could do with the same

Lovely cafe and food, peaceful place to walk and enjoy. Lots of interesting history too.
Parking is free and plentiful. Worth booking online, when we visited that gave a 10% discount.

Lovely gardens, with some colour even in early spring. Lots of little follies and huts to see along the trail. Great second hand book shop in the house but don't expect much else - it's not set up for tours of the house. Tickets a little pricey for low season. Dogs welcome on a lead but could do with a field where dogs can be let off the lead.

Lovely place well worth a visit food is very nice, not the cheapest but good quality worth the extra money

Lovely informal and formal gardens in a lovely setting just outside Taunton

Great gardens. Beautiful flowers. Nice restaurant. Good plants on sale

Excellent grounds. Plenty to see. Lots of walking. Very dog friendly. Steeped in history. Only down side was some dog owners did not pick up after there dog, which is a shame as the gardens and walkways are very well kept.