National Trust - Wentworth Castle Gardens — Local services in Barnsley

A Hidden Gem in Barnsley – Wentworth Castle Gardens

We visited Wentworth Castle Gardens today (Sunday), and it was a brilliant day out – peaceful, scenic, and full of charm for all ages. One important tip before you go: don’t trust your sat nav blindly – it’ll try to take you to a non-used entrance. Instead, follow the brown tourist signs to get to the correct access and car park.

Speaking of the car park, it was pretty full when we arrived, but there’s an overflow car park just up a steep-ish grassy field – so be ready for a little hill start if you’re parking up there!

There was no queue to get in, and the steady walk up to the grand house was a lovely warm-up. If you or someone in your group has limited mobility, there’s a shuttle bus available to take you up the slope – a thoughtful touch that makes the gardens more accessible.

One of the first things you’ll see is the café (very handy for a mid-morning coffee), along with an impressively large adventure play fort that’ll instantly capture the kids’ attention. There’s also a conveniently-placed ice cream van — suspiciously positioned as if it knows exactly when your kids’ legs will stop working. 😄

The café is excellent – the staff are friendly and efficient, and you won’t be waiting long to get your food or drinks. There are plenty of benches outside, so you can relax with a cake and a coffee in the sunshine and take in the surroundings.

The walk through the gardens is just beautiful. You pass by the grand house with lovely views over the valley beyond. The landscaping is thoughtfully done, and the winding paths lead you toward the large greenhouse, which was beautifully restored in 2019. Take a few minutes to pop inside – there’s some interesting history about the house and the gardens that’s worth a read.

From there, you continue through the hedge-walled gardens, eventually arriving at the Victorian garden, which is undergoing some renovation but remains a peaceful, serene spot to sit and unwind.

Further up the gardens, you’ll find a few surprises – like the old stone entryway (now closed off) and, at the top, the old castle ruins. You can even climb up one of the towers – though be warned, it’s a narrow, twisting climb with two-way traffic. Think of it as a polite game of “after you!” with strangers. 😄 If you’re okay with heights, the views from the top are well worth the effort – even if your knees aren’t entirely convinced afterward!

There are plenty of places for picnics, whether you’re chasing the sun or looking for a shady retreat. We ended our visit with the woodland walk, a lovely path filled with blooming rhododendrons – the scent in the air this time of year is just gorgeous.

If you’ve got a few hours to spare, kids who love to explore, or you simply enjoy a leisurely walk surrounded by nature and history, Wentworth Castle Gardens is a fantastic day out. Highly...

A well maintained varied layout of gardens with parkland and walks to lift the sprit. Wentworth has a bit of everything from community tended gardens in the union Jack layout, formal, stunning trees beautiful rhododendrons and mystic ferns in the fernery. Add to this a number of follies (including a fake castle) and you have a great day out for all ages. The parklands provide a 1.3 mile circular route taking in deer both red and fallow and a terrain while muddy in places with care is suitable for all ages. Children's play area is well equipped and hosts another castle though be it of smaller construction that allows imagination and activity to take over and if you then walk up the hill younger members can stride the battlements of the follie that is built to look like a castle while parents/guardians wonder at the expense of building a follie on top of an iron age hill fort. The cafe is pleasant with a selection of food and drinks manned by friendly helpful staff. Only downside was the orangery was not open. Car parking is well laid out and plentiful. Dog walkers beware you need to keep your pets on a non extendable lead but the office will lend you one if you forget to take one. For the less able the tracks in the gardens are reasonably firm but steep and there is a buggy service up and down the hill. Parkland is rolling meadow with defined paths but it is grassland and can be muddy and churned up by the deer. On a day of blue skies with crisp temperatures it was an excellent way to get some fresh air and we will be back in spring to see the...

Came here for the first time today, won’t be coming again. First off it’s £6 a head to get in which is kind of expected as it’s the national trust and they certainly do love the smell of green. The gardens are nice enough, although sizeable there’s not really anything spectacular about them, certainly nothing worth £6 a head. The paths are basically all gravel, not suitable as we had our infant son with us in his pram, someone might have mentioned this to me when I was paying for entry and informed me it might not be ideal for a pram. They didn’t seem too bothered about that though, just wanted their money and also asking me to donate to charity, as if they’re not a multi-million pound trust. Cafe is also an absolute rip off, didn’t get any food as I saw the prices. £6.50 for a dismal looking toastie etc.

Nearly threw up in my own mouth when told it was £7 for two cans of orange juice.

Overall it’s quite disgusting the price of admission for not a lot to do other than walking around an unimpressive garden, and getting charged a fortune for the luxury of either eating or drinking. There are far better walks in the local area that you could do absolutely free of charge and stop at a local cafe/pub who are far more deserving of your hard earned cash I might add, with the added bonus of not being served by someone in a mask and a...