National Trust - Bodnant Garden — Attraction in Eglwysbach

A wonderful day out at Bodbant Gardens North Wales in late August. A testament to the possibilities of abundant colour and flowering in late summer Suitable for people of all ages and dogs welcome at selected times. Suggest check beforehand. Access to the whole site for people with mobility needs could be challenging but don't let this put you off. There is still plenty to see and access without venturing into the dell's and wooded areas. A truly remarkable garden now owned by the National Trust but also free to RHS members. He opening hot border is amazing. This is a grade 1 listed site set over 32 hillside hectares (80acres). Home to a vast array of plants from around the world with 5 national plant collections, champion trees set out over formal Italianate terraces, lawns, magnificent borders which are colour coordinated. There are meadows, wooded glades, dell's, water gardens. A river runs through the site dropping into a valley crammed with the most fascinating collection of trees bulbs plants, viewpoints. An enormous and beautiful laburnum archway which I can only imagine will be a wonder to see in Spring. The plant labelling is one of the best I've encountered. 👌there's huge amounts of space to roam around, lots of seating strategically placed for rest, quiet contemplation amongst nature, picnics and playing. It took us about 5 hours to wander around with lots of stops to look closely at the plants and structures which we finished with a nice cuppa and cake at the end. There is a very nice garden centre and shop on site with some good deals. 3 plants for £10 for example. The grand home and glasshouse belonging to the original owners is not open to the public. A free map of the site is provided to help navigate around. Despite that we didn't manage to find everything we wanted and on site signage could be improved. There were however quite a few gardeners and volunteers available to ask questions. We asked 1 about a particular plant and she knew the variety. Another told us about a tree in the dell area. It all felt well organised and we had a great day made extra good by dry sunny weather. Although we didn't have children with us we noted there is a play park there and just masses of space to run free and make a noise. I highly recommend Bodnant Gardens and will visit again next year in...

Blue badge parking on entry to the car park, on the left, near the cafe and also as you follow the car park around to the right, it is a bit more elevated on that side so it's advisable to get there early for parking if you have mobility issues. They also have a drop-off/ pickup area outside the cafe, which is useful! Free wheelchairs to use on a first come bases. Staff are friendly and helpful! The accessible route is a picturesque walk around. Lots of hard work has gone into the landscape, and it's paid off! We did go on a route that advised a no wheelchair walk, but we were with my daughter and family, who are regular visitors to Bodnant... we have off-road wheels on the wheelchair and when a bit more strength was needed my son in law has a few extra muscles to spare so between both their strength the walk was accessible for us and we were so pleased to go down there as we would have missed how beautiful it is. There is a small snack/drink hut near a stone bridge and small waterfall. The flora and trees around just made this a peaceful haven with the birds singing and the water flowing. My 4 year old granddaughter loves this place. She thinks it's her secret garden and is just happy to listen to the wind through the trees and gently run her hands across the flowers and leaves! We spent the day here, very easy to do, the grounds are extensive, and there is plenty to return for to explore. There are benches and picnic benches dotted about. We did stop at the cafe for a coffee and food at the end of our walk, reasonable prices, it's what you would expect from the park cafes... sandwiches, homemade scones, and other bakes... some vegan. Hot food is available as well, baked potato with a variety of fillings, nachos, potato wedges, etc. Hot and cold drinks. Children's snack boxes and hot food. Toilets are a separate building. There are 2 accessible toilets, one near the cafe and the other up where the ladies/men's unit is. Dogs are welcome on leads on certain days, I think Thursday to Sunday at the moment, but it's best to check on their site for...

This is undoubtedly one of the loveliest gardens I've visited! Came here on a group excursion and spent about three hours here, but I'd say you need a minimum of four hours to see it all at a leisurely pace. The entrance is through the NT visitor centre, where I bought a beautifully illustrated guidebook, packed with interesting facts, for £5. The garden covers a wide area, with a lot of steep slopes and steps to negotiate, but there are a couple of step-free routes along compressed gravel paths that are suitable for people with wheelchairs or prams, clearly marked on the maps that we were given at the entrance. There's plenty of seating along all the routes. And there was such a lot to see: formal gardens with immaculate lawns and well maintained flowerbeds, woodland walks with spectacular views down to the valley floor, rushing streams and waterfalls, quaint old buildings, and wonderful views from the terraces towards the distant mountains. Could not get over how tall some of those trees were! Most of the plants were labelled, and there were many exotic flowers in full bloom, including Himalayan blue poppies. The Laburnum Arch and the Waterfall Bridge were well worth a look! There are three cafes; the one at the entrance serves hot meals. I enjoyed a chocolate brownie and coffee at the smaller Magnolia Café next to the garden centre. Ample clean toilets near the entrance (and some at the far end of the garden), free parking, a children's play area, friendly staff, and a gift shop with some nice garden ornaments, homewares, clothing and books. All in all, a wonderful day out! I definitely...