The Japanese Garden at Cowden Reviews Summary

Gardens and Landscaping

Pros:

• "Nature at its finest! Lush green everywhere, a perfect getaway for couples or families!"
• "Absolutely beautiful gardens. Very well looked after, lovely information boards with the history which was fascinating."
• "The gardens are so well kept and beautiful to walk around."
• "Beautiful landscaping, very relaxing walk."

Cons:

• "Beautiful if a little small Japanese garden."
• "Lots to say about The Japanese Garden, firstly it's expensive at £8.50 for a grown up."
• "Only criticism would be that the access road could be doing with widening or more passing places."
• "Not as big as I would've thought and signage is poor."

Cafe and Food Offerings

Pros:

• "The tea room is bustling and has some delicious food on offer. Sandwiches, soup and lots of baked goods."
• "The cafe was beyond what I expected with a very good menu. Plenty of seating outdoors and picnic areas."
• "We had a delicious lunch."
• "The café does great lunches, afternoon teas and just coffee and cakes."

Cons:

• "Delicious food but very expensive. Well worth a visit."
• "Tea room very expensive and the experience of the garden passable."
• "The rolls were not fresh and the cappuccinos were more like lattes really not worth the money."
• "The food was overpriced and poor, dietary requests about the food ordered were wholly ignored."

Accessibility and Facilities

Pros:

• "Well signposted so easy to find."
• "Paths are well maintained and very accessible. Mostly flat, it was possible for me to walk right round even with my bad hip."
• "The staff were lovely. The place was so nice and clean. The gardens were amazing. We brought a disability buggy and it was very easy to access."
• "Absolutely stunning, peaceful & tranquil garden. All staff were so friendly and helpful."

Cons:

• "Not ideal for those who might struggle with steps as the steps are uneven or at a slant for aesthetics."
• "The paths are steep and rocky and there are no dedicated wheelchair car park spaces."
• "The approach road is a quite narrow single track road with passing places."
• "The paths are a bit difficult to walk on especially if you have a pram or are unsteady on your feet."

Value for Money

Pros:

• "Good value for money."
• "Cheap prices, too. The gardens are beautiful and have 3 different forests to wander through."

Cons:

• "Bit pricey for what they provided and no cleansing wipes for toilet in the ladies, will have to start carrying my own."
• "£8.50 and there's many parts you're not allowed into, and the woods were closed due to winds."
• "A bit pricey if a non-member. Beautiful Japanese garden with good paths, so very accessible."
• "£7 entry was well worth it. Excellent Cafe on location."