Address: Hestercombe, Taunton, TA2 8LG, United Kingdom
Phone: +441823413923
Rating: 4.5
based on 324 reviews.
Facilities & Services
Pros:
"The facilities and the staff were all lovely and we could take the dog, which was a deciding factor."
"There's a restaurant and shop... Also a small garden shop.... Children play area too... Disabled facilities as well."
"Polite, helpful staff, beautifully prepared, delicious food - a special place to go."
"There is a place to buy plants conveniently located by the car park."
"All staff on site were very welcoming and friendly."
"The woman on reception was lovely, making us feel really welcome."
"Well set up with picnic tables and limited visitor numbers."
Cons:
"We were curtly told by a waitress that we were too late for lunch but afternoon tea was available, so we ordered that."
"Very disappointing was the lack of service at the restaurant."
"Needless to say we left without obtaining our order."
"Wasn't the most safest place for my family to visit... lakes and waterfall and high areas made it a constant danger."
"The stables cafe is a must, great food and the staff were welcoming and friendly."
"The Stables Restaurant was a bit of a let down though. They were very unwilling to adjust their menu to take into account a disability resulting from surgery."
"The waitress was abrupt to the point of rudeness."
Value & Pricing
Pros:
"2 hot dogs and 2 hot drinks were £22 I think, but were very nice."
"The annual rate for a joint membership is far too high."
"Not cheap to get in, but the yearly pass makes it great value if you are able to visit a few times."
"Liked that you can access most of the site with electric buggy for anyone with mobility needs."
"Took advantage of 50% off and kids under 5 free."
"If you really enjoy the place you can keep the costs down by signing up to the visitor subscription service available."
"We have put off going before as it is quite expensive but had vouchers which made it value for money."
Cons:
"Entry was very expensive for what was there but the grounds were very nice to walk around."
"Went to the Christmas display at the beginning of December, really nice walk around... its a tad expensive for what you get."
"The annual rate for a joint membership is far too high."
"Was a bit expensive for the food especially when the hotdogs rolls were hard and the turkey roll was bland."
"The £16 entrance fee does seem rather excessive."
"Word of warning for those on a budget - the on site restaurant and takeaway facilities are very expensive!"
"Very expensive, £12.50 per adult to walk round the gardens so didn't bother, I can walk for free anywhere else."
Gardens & Grounds
Pros:
"The gardens are amazing, Philip and the team have done some incredible things at Hestercombe."
"Really beautiful place to walk around."
"A very beautiful garden suitable for all ages."
"First time visiting Hestercombe and was not disappointed, such beautiful gardens and walks."
"Beautiful landscape gardens - a less sophisticated version of Stourhead really, but without the crowds."
"The Gardens are absolutely beautiful."
"The gardens were fantastic."
Cons:
"The gardens are of no great attraction and every time you turn round there is something asking for donations."
"The formal gardens are lovely, certainly worth a look, but are rather lacking in 'colour' and the Orangery was empty."
"Gardens a little scruffy in places and not as well tended as you would expect from a NT property."
"The gardens are the main attraction need attention, lockdown has not served them well and they need TLC and volunteer support."
"The formal gardens look like they need to recover post covid lockdowns."
"The big pond at the bottom needs all the rubbish scraped off and cleaned up."
"Quite a miserable garden in December. Especially for £32."
Accessibility
Pros:
"There is a restaurant, cafe, shop and plant shop, plus a play area for young children."
"All staff and gardeners are wonderfully polite and welcoming."
"Plenty of events throughout the year, disabled parking and you can hire a 4x4 tramper mobility scooter for £4 which will allow you to get to most areas of the gardens."
"A big plus for disadvantaged walkers is the availability of a battery-powered, 4-wheel mobility 'scooter'."
"They have a mobility scooter that you can borrow free for two hours."
"Beautiful gardens and park land. Most of the lower paths are suitable for normal buggies."
"Good restaurant and cafe, and dog welcome in the cafe."
Cons:
"Paths are hardcore in places and not easy for strollers or mobility scooters."
"You may struggle with wheel chairs and buggys as it can get quite steep."
"The walled garden is not buggy friendly. Dogs are allowed on leads."
"The formal garden was quite nice but the woodland garden to the north was simply a walk in the woods which can be done for free in many other parks in the UK."
"The upper gardens/walks/ponds are nice for a stroll but are overgrown in places and seem to have been left to their own devices."
"Would be even better if more accessible by public transport!"
"I was disappointed that the gift shop was up steep steps."