Cheslyn House & Gardens — Attraction in Watford

I visited Cheslyn Gardens in late November 2020 (during the second lockdown) with my 11 week old baby. Despite the season, there was still plenty to see in the way of plants and trees, and it was a very peaceful walk. We encountered just two other people on a weekday lunchtime.

On arrival, I looked at the map and decided to visit the aviary. This housed small birds, including a large number of cockatiels, which my daughter was delighted by.

Beyond here, we followed the path and admired some fuschias in bloom, and a towering sequoia. The more wooded area beyond was understandably muddy but did not require anything beyond trainers for someone unconcerned about getting them dirty.

There were plenty of benches to stop at as we walked around. I'm aware there is also a pond, but we somehow missed this, and the sign at the entrance indicated that there were toilets, but we did not seek these either.

This was a lovely walk, and we would return again, especially in other seasons when more plants would...

I love Cheslyn Gardens, my favourite place in Watford. Lovely wooded walk with an abundance of plants, places to sit and relax or watch the variety of birds or of you're lucky a fox or such. Visit the aviary and pond with the koi carp (and lots of tadpoles at this time of year).

There's a small car park and there is a little toilet available if required (a garden outhouse is a better description so don't expect 5 stars inside) in which the toilet and sink are clean though it is a little pungent and cobwebby. I'm so very glad they've never been tempted to turn the house into a coffee shop, much better left the way it is.

For the next 4 weeks (posting this 11th May 24) there's a small exhibition of a local artist being shown in Cheslyn House. Another reason for a visit to the garden. Open 10-4pm I believe and the artist herself is there to talk to if you like. Why not pop...

It's a lovely, well maintained house and gardens. Great way to kill off an hour by strolling round and seeing all the beautiful individual plants there. Would be a good place to come and have a picnic in the summer time with the children. When we visited today in spring there were a load of beautiful flowers that have blossomed so I can only imagine what it will be like in the summer. Also the pond has some rather large koi and on closer inspection there were hundreds, if not thousands of tadpoles swimming around today! The aviary is lovelyo, featuring a nice selection of birds, of which some were quite friendly and came quite close to inspect me 😁

The best part about Cheslyn Gardens is that...