Athelhampton House & Gardens Reviews Summary

Gardens

Pros:

• "The gardens are peaceful and a pleasure to walk around."
• "The curated gardens have a lot of history and are styled individually into different themes."
• "The gardens were beautiful and lots to see."
• "Gardens and grounds are beautiful and very well looked after."
• "The highlight of the Manor though has to be the gardens, which are beautifully laid out, well looked after and relaxing thanks to all the waterfalls."
• "The gardens are designed like rooms, you walk from one enclosed area into another, all different."
• "The gardens are some of the best ones I have ever seen in a stately home."

Cons:

• "However the gardens are looking a bit tired with a lot of wasted fruit and veg."
• "Paths had weeds all growing in the cracks, lots of bare earth in the flower / veg patches."
• "Based on our recent experience I can't rate the gardens very highly, they looked unloved and tired."
• "The garden looked neglected. There were weeds everywhere, the vegetable garden was bare except for a few marigolds."
• "The herbaceous borders needed lots of TLC and the roses desperately needed deadheading and staking in the rose garden."
• "The gardens are extremely pretty but could be better kept (e.g fountains)."
• "Understandably the gardens are not up to scratch due to the current situation of getting staff etc."

House

Pros:

• "Superb house and gardens, well worth a visit."
• "The house had a unique feel & quirky layout because of its history, more like a home inside than a mansion."
• "The house was a fantastic example of a Tudor home."
• "The house itself was stunning and really well restored."
• "The Manor house itself is extraordinarily well preserved and the highlight for me was the hammer beam roof in the great hall."
• "The interior is in immaculate condition, and there is plenty to see with many rooms open to the public."
• "The house is fascinating and full of history with a historic Henry VIII connection."

Cons:

• "House being refurbed should be free as some rooms sealed off."
• "Nice place to visit but a bit disappointed with the size of the house and the majority of it is not suitable for people who have mobility problems or are in a wheelchair."
• "Some of the rooms were very bare of furniture - particularly the dressing room which had one piece of furniture in it."
• "I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has walking difficulties or disabled as the garden paths are gravel."
• "The house is relatively small, or at least the bits open to the public."
• "High ticket prices when considering what you see is atrocious, no guides in any of the four rooms you visit and the quality of the rooms you do see is unbelievable this place is beyond a 'fixer upper'."
• "Unfortunately a lot of restoration work was going on so not all the house was open for viewing."

Staff and Service

Pros:

• "The staff were so pleasant and helpful, everywhere was spotlessly clean."
• "The guide was so helpful and keen to share her knowledge of the house and medieval history."
• "Staff very friendly and knowledgeable about the house."
• "All of the staff were very friendly and well informed which enhanced the overall experience."
• "The staff were so friendly, helpful and full of knowledge."
• "Staff was very polite and friendly and they happily answered all our questions about the estate and life in Tudor times."
• "Staff absolutely superb. Attentive, helpful with great customer service."

Cons:

• "Service was slow - was it table or counter service?"
• "No covid 19 precautions in place. An absolute shambles at reception."
• "My one complaint would be lack of signage."
• "If I complain - which I rarely do- I expect apologies not excuses or justifications."
• "No one way systems in reception area and tea room. Toilets blocked in ladies."