Tapeley Park Gardens — Attraction in North Devon

My family and I visited with our dog and were astounded by our lovely day. As soon as we walked in we were greeted by a very friendly worker who was very pleased to meet our dog and gave him a treat.

The grounds are beyond amazing. They are very well kept, with even paths (useful, as I had a walking stick). The kitchen garden is filled with lovely smells as you walk by each bush, tree, and plant. The Italian garden is truly magnificent, wonderfully trimmed, and neat. It is a must-see if you are in the area.

In a field next to the kitchen garden is a herd of highland cows. These are actually owned by Hector and he keeps them as pets. They are gorgeous and seem very well kept.

We had delicious cream tea at the Tearoom. The scones were made in-house and tasted delicious - they were a perfect, non-crumbly base for the cream and jam (of which you can choose from strawberry, raspberry, or blueberry). We were able to choose from French, Italian, or Colombian pressed coffee. Rob in the kitchen was the perfect host, walked us through everything we could have with a smile and made everything so efficiently.

There is an overwhelming sense of cordiality here. Very dog-friendly and welcoming of all. People are free to do as they please, there isn’t a single sign that says ‘keep off the grass’.

The gift shop is lovely. We bought some produce that was grown in their garden which was Extremely reasonably priced. They have really nice things, also very reasonably priced.

Thank you to the team for welcoming us and making our visit so lovely. We’ll definitely be back again.

Accessibility info: The car park is very close to the entrance, down a slight slope. Around the grounds there are different slope severities but okay for a relatively able cane-user. The ground by the tea room is cobbled and not amazing for those using mobility aids but definitely doable. There are steps down into the Italian garden but you are still able to oversee it. The grounds are relatively compact for a property of this size and I would say walkable for many of those with mobility issues. I avoided seeing the lake as I was warned it was down a steep slope that may be slippery since it had rained. I also didn’t go see the monument as it seemed a bit...

Located in the parish of Westleigh, Tapeley Park sits high on a hill overlooking the River Torridge and the North Devon coastline. It's a marvellous enchanted (like a fairy tale) Italian terrace garden with a pergola, packed with beautiful flowers and shrubs and includes a working kitchen garden (with a huge range of herbs and vegetables growing in it), a lake, ponds, old woodland and a number of fields where a herd of highland cattle graze. As well as a sizeable organic vegetable garden, Tapeley Park has one of the oldest permaculture gardens in the UK.

A visit is absolutely to recommend. The gardens are open to the public six days a week (closed on Saturdays), from 10 am – 5pm. Visitors can explore the grounds and are free to bring their own picnic or pop in to the tea rooms for cream teas, drinks and snacks (prepared with ingredients fresh from the Tapeley gardens). Please note that tours of the house can also be arranged by prior appointment through the gift shop.

If you are lucky and meet local people, they will recommend you enchanted angles in the Garden. And there you will get a lot of tips and hints for you own garden. Regrettably the inside of the manor house belonging to the garden is not visitable. It's a pity.

We had a delicious cream tea & cake in the...

It's is a beautiful, tranquil, relaxing location to visit. The staff are brilliantly helpful, friendly and extremely informative in regards to the history of the estate. There are stunningly plants scattered throughout the grounds and gardens. The café offers a great selection of food and drinks whether you want something large to eat, something to nibble on or something sweet to tickle your taste buds. All of the ingredients used in the cooking within the café are grown from the estate, hearded on the estate or laid on the estate. What's more, the food and beverages are excellently priced and not expensive in the slightest.

Tapeley Park is a must for anyone visiting Devon or Cornwall. I personally return every year...