Batsford Arboretum and Garden Centre — Local services in Cotswold District

Beautiful and well-maintained gardens and wonderful trees. Many paths to explore, and not many excluded to me on a hired Tramper scooter, so my two-hour hire slot went quickly. Many seats to choose from if (like my wife) you want an occasional sit-down (whereas I was sitting comfortably throughout!) Book Tramper two-hour slot in advance (and your entry tickets, if it's likely to be busy - but I don't think they would refuse entry where one person has pre-booked a Tramper, so you can pay on entry to the Arboretum. Entry to the garden centre and cafe/restaurant is free.).

Cafe and shop etc good - we had an initial coffee and cake, then a spot of lunch when we'd finished. Plants shop quite extensive/good. My wife bought a couple of pot plants.

10.11.22 visit: Pleasant snack lunch, then stroll/'tramp' round the arboretum. Busier in the cafe/restaurant than in the grounds, but we found a table OK. Recently refurbished cafe/restaurant good/pleasant, albeit when busy the queue can elongate annoyingly... A better queueing/serving system could perhaps help avoid this by eg separating hot meals from snacks and tea/coffee/cakes. But worth the wait today. Enjoyed the arborteum stroll/'tramp' as usual. 4.4.24: Family visit again. Good brunch, then off into the Arboretum. The grandchildren did the Easter trail... or was it Mum and Nanny!? Good improvement with newly laid compressed cotswold stone on many of the trails.. the rest are tarmac or similar anyway, so good walking even with wet ground conditions. Tramper hire for me (pre-booked) went smoothly. Ice creams/cake etc post-walk snacks with tea etc rounded off a very pleasant day. The grandchildren seemed happy with their semi-precious stones prize packs, fully labelled. The blue-badge parking immediately outside the entrance is very convenient and makes life easier for me. Not that busy, given that it's Easter half-term, though busier in the restaurant at lunchtime when we finished our walking and had our teas etc. 22.7.24: Another happy family visit - brunch + 'hedgehog trail for the grandchildren in the Arboretum. Tea + cake/ice...

On a wet and windy day in March, I visited Batsford after a gap of 30 years for my birthday and I was not disppointed. We had pre-booked our tickets online, so had an arrival time to aim for. The Arboretum was easy to find using the sat-nav and the brown tourist signs and parking was a plenty on the day. There are two routes down to the entrance from the top car park, either by the accessible ramp or via some steps. Once inside the building, there are toilets, a garden centre, gift shop and café. At the far end is a counter where some lovely ladies are ready to take your booking reference number, show you the map and answer any questions you may have (Look out for the trees highlighted on the board by the door). I was really glad we took our walking boots today, as the paths were wet and muddy in places and it is always better to be safe at this time of year. Using the map and information sheet, we plotted a route around the grounds and hoped we would be able to visit all the areas of interest. Halfway round, the weather turned for the worse and we were very grateful for the sign showing us the way back to the gift shop and café. We decided to have a hot meal in the café, along with a mug of hot chocolate and watched the red kites from the window by the terrace. The menu was clear to read and there was plenty of food to choose from. The staff who served us and those who cleared the tables, were polite and friendly and I found the café to be clean and pleasant to sit in. Back in the Arborteum, we visited swathes of daffodils, early cherry blossom, a few magnolias, skunk cabbages along the water's edge and spotted the odd rhododendron in flower. Overall, we really enjoyed our Spring visit to Batsford, including a look around the garden centre and plan to return soon, but at a different...

I was a fan of the café at the Arboretum and I have been coming to your café (and your beautiful Arboretum) now for 12 years with family and friends (and I am a local).

However, sadly, I am no longer a fan. Far from it I’m afraid. Instead I am now disappointed and annoyed about the decline of what was a fantastic destination café.

Reasoning:

Your prices are simply too high. You no longer offer value for money and whilst I appreciate (as for all of us) your running costs may have increased, bottom line, in my view, you are becoming greedy.

I say this because the quality of the food you offer has dropped significantly and the prices are simply not reflective of what you offer. My last meal with you (battered fish, new potatoes and vegetables) was so disappointing. The batter and fish were dry and when I had finally hacked into it, the fish was shrunken, an awful grey colour and overcooked. Utterly tasteless added to which I notice your portions of sides are becoming notably smaller…..

You are not a gastro pub and you are a self-service restaurant. Your pricing does not reflect.

I appreciate people are coming in wet and muddy but that doesn’t excuse the amount of food debris on the floor. Pretty disgusting and the dirty plates and cutlery left on the tables (despite your lovely gentleman who works relentlessly to try and keep-up) is not a good look.

You need to up your game and drop your...