Bodenham Arboretum Reviews Summary

Admission and Value

Pros:

• "Entrance fees to the arboretum were quite steep but you get half of the tickets back for the next visit, which i will do."
• "Great value and an amazing place to bring families, friends and small children."
• "It costs so little really to get in; considering a season ticket next time."
• "Food was great, well worth the price."
• "Had a yearly pass last year and it's excellent value."
• "Worth the £6.50 to do the walk when it goes back to preserving the area."
• "It is pricey for a single visit though so I really recommend the yearly pass."

Cons:

• "£6.30 Is a far too high admission fee."
• "The only thing that spoiled the day in our opinion was the rip off prices for the food."
• "Nice Day, but everything was way over priced, £9.50 for a turkey roll, you can get a full carvery for that!"
• "Expensive for what you get."
• "A family ticket cost £18 which I thought was very expensive."
• "Unfortunately very over priced for a small walk."
• "Cost for 2 = £49, for this is a rip off."

Facilities and Amenities

Pros:

• "With a shop and cafe and toilet facilities."
• "There is an excellent café that serves good quality snacks and meals."
• "The café did us a very nice carvery, and has lovely views across the lake."
• "Free parking, too."
• "The little cafe again by the lake is a great stop."
• "Free parking, toilets and a well appointed little cafe on site."
• "Restrooms are inside next to the cafe."

Cons:

• "The only very small problem we noticed were some of the benches around the longer walking routes hadn't been cleaned, so were covered in algae & dirt."
• "The only downside was you aren't allowed inside or even in the additional setting cabin with a dog."
• "Restaurant busy, you need to book. Reasonable choice but not vast."
• "Some trails are very steep so maybe not pushchair friendly."
• "Parking is limited and like today it was very busy so parking was difficult and took a while."
• "The visitor centre and restaurant weren't as well organised as they could be."
• "However, the attraction is not very accessible for wheelchairs!"

Customer Service

Pros:

• "Staff were incredibly friendly and really approachable!"
• "Staff were very friendly which makes a change in a lot of eating places these days."
• "Staff kind and helpful."
• "Friendly staff."
• "Staff are friendly and polite."
• "The staff are always friendly and helpful and the food delicious."
• "Very friendly place to visit. Farm animals to see and touch."

Cons:

• "NOT COMING BACK, EVEN THAT THE NEXT RETURN IS FREE... NOT WORTH IT!!"
• "Really not happy with the customer service provided."
• "Feel the need to express my utter disappointment at the disgraceful customer service provided by the Arboretum staff!"
• "We were confronted by a very aggressive and rude man asking us for paperwork for dogs and shouting 'this wasn’t right!'"
• "A nasty experience been bullied by the owner/staff in front of a tour group."
• "Out of principle I WILL NO LONGER BE VISITING, EATING AT OR RECOMMENDING the Arboretum - so disappointing!"
• "he spoilt our day out, when I went to pay and explained what had happened they couldn’t have cared less."

Experience and Atmosphere

Pros:

• "A magnificent collection of stunning trees."
• "Visited during half-term together with my kids and we absolutely loved it!"
• "The colours of Autumn are absolutely stunning and brought tears to my eyes!"
• "Round every corner and turn you discover beautiful plants and vistas, a photographer's dream."
• "A gloriously beautiful oasis of peace and joy."
• "Such a beautiful place and so quiet that you would think you were miles away from home."
• "Beautiful open space, especially now (October) with autumn colours."

Cons:

• "Suffice to say, we probably won't be visiting again, after making our way over from Derby based on the generally positive reviews we read before visiting."
• "The problem here is that although there might be interest with Spring blossoms and Autumn foliage there is nothing much to see during the rest of the year, below the trees is mostly bare of anything of note."
• "We will not go back."
• "Fairly busy when we went and would be much nicer with less people."
• "Due to the annoying noise we elected not to use the restaurant but leave early."
• "The Woodlands are stunning and well maintained. What spoilt it a little was music being played over an address system which frankly was out of place."
• "The cold response from staff members, including the owner, when responding to customer concerns."