Bodnant Garden

Visited on 27th September.
Hardens were lovely with lots to see.
I would recommend bringing a picnic as the ordering of food or drinks at the Pavillion cafe is ridiculous, queuing for 25mins to order, only one person taking orders for drinks, and one for hot food best of luck if you need a cold sandwich???

We last visited Bodnant in 2013 and the gardens have greatly expanded since then, with new woodland walks and spacious open meadows. We visited in early June, so were well timed to witness the stunning display of the laburnum arch, which had a small queue, apparently because it has just featured in a film.

The rest of the gardens are amazing, with a large formal area close to the house, leading down past terracing to the woodland river valley. The wooded areas are planted through with rhododendrons of all colours, which make for a truly magical vista. The weather was perfect for walking for hours through this amazing location, but be prepared for some steep uphill sections to get the full value of the property.

All of the paths are well made, however, and there are good signs to warn anyone with a wheelchair or who may be slightly infirm.

The cafes were very busy, with limited seating due to the current times, but the staff were processing people efficiently, so it did not take too long to get cups of tea and cakes.

All of the employees and volunteers at this National Trust property were so friendly and seemed genuinely pleased to talk about various aspects of the garden.

On the right day for weather, this is one of the finest places to visit in North Wales at the beginning of Summer.

Stunningly beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed spending our day here. This was our first visit and I initially wanted to go during May to see the Laburnum Arch but I missed the chance to do and to go during Autumn/Winter was the second option.

Very helpful and polite staff. We paid £14 each and my 3-year old daughter went in for free. Totally worth the price considering the size of the gardens and that they were well-maintained. We saw many little groups of staff working and keeping the gardens in check and all were very friendly, especially to my daughter.

Many flowers still to be seen however our favourite were the Japanese Maple trees. We were in awe of their colourful beauty.

Toilet facilities were immaculate and we loved the cafe. We highly recommend the Pumpkin Spice Latte and Tiramisu Latte - they could easily give Starbucks a run!

All in all, very enjoyable and peaceful. Will definitely return next year!

These are wonderful gardens, quite unique with something for every season. When we visited this time there were lots of azaleas and rhododendrons even though they had sadly been battered by the recent rain and winds. The views are great and it is so peaceful to walk by the river and sit and enjoy the surroundings and the lovely planting. What spoiled the visit for us was the complete lack of organisation. I appreciate that we are in COVID times but places have had some time to prepare.

There was little, if hardly any, signage throughout the garden, apart from a map at the start and at the Far End. This made it very difficult to find your way around the garden and given that it is very steep in places, it is very frustrating to have to go back and forth to find your way round, particularly for those who are less mobile. I don’t understand why a paper map couldn’t be handed out on arrival as has happened in other gardens I have visited recently.

The cafe facilities also leave a lot to be desired. On the day we visited the only refreshments available were those outside the entrance which meant that there was nothing available throughout the whole garden and you had to go out if you wanted anything. The cafe itself was badly organised, just one service point which was very slow and meant long queues. And you weren’t able to see what was available until you were at the front on the queue as it was only displayed at the service point. As I have said, I recognise that COVID places additional requirements on organisations but there must surely be a better way to organise this. On a plus point, dogs are allowed in 2021. Hopefully this will continue in future years.

This is a garden for all seasons. Daffodils needed some sun but lots out although the rain had spoilt some of the early magnolias. Plenty of parking, cafe, shop and dog friendly. Good walking paths and stunning views. Nice lunch in the cafe although we sat in the part decorated with plastic flowers and plants which looked nice but felt quite dark and claustrophobic. Someone might want to rethink the hanging bits over the doorways which caught on people's heads, not very hygienic.

What a Beautiful Place to Wander and Relax

We had an extremely pleasant visit.

The pre-booking system worked well and was designed to ensure that visitor numbers were kept within comfortable and safe limits.

The was lots of room to wander around the beautifully maintained garden.

A very knowledgable Guide answered our questions and was most friendly.

All plants were well labelled. There was no guessing the names of specimens.

A beautiful leisurely walk along the shaded river valley was a highlight of my visit. on such a hot day with lots of interest.

I would certainly recommend a visit to keen gardeners as well as members of the general public

An extensive garden. The house isn’t National Trust and isn’t open to visit. This is probably the best known garden in Wales and wouldn’t disappoint at any time of the year but it’s particularly famous for its Laburnum Arch which flowers towards the end of May. National Trust members are admitted free of charge but you do have to go online to book a timed slot.

This place is magical we visited as a family, 2 adults, 10 year old, 8 year old and an 18 month old and we all loved it.

The planting is fabulous, and the different areas of the garden move from one to the other effortlessly. We have visited lots of National Trust properies and this is our new favourite ( just a shame it is 4.5 hours from home!)

These magnificent gardens on the edge of Snowdonia surround Bodnant Hall, a National Trust property that presumably is unremarkable since it is closed to the public. Whilst there are several formal areas close to the house, much of the estate is less manicured and drops down quite a steep slope to a charming stream. The formal beds were still mostly ablaze with colour and there were some wonderfully scented roses. Immediately adjacent to the house you can catch wonderful glimpses of distant hills.

Although the garden itself can cope with the volume of visitors we encountered on a fine September day, the restaurant next to the car-park was struggling to meet demand and we queued longer for some lunch than anywhere else we visited on our UK staycation (including RHS Wisley which is an absolute model of how to run a large garden attraction). The gardeners we encountered all seemed to be working rather languidly and quite a number of the paths were closed off for no obviously good reason.

Arrived at the carpark to find it was situated on a steep hill, with a walk down hill to the gardens, you access the gardens through a tunnel under the road, good idea avoids crossing the road. Impressive gardens and the Laburnum arch is very impressive, well worth the visit. the gardens are well laid out and extensive, there are ramps everywhere to assist wheelchairs but be aware some could be difficult due to the place being hilly, nice garden center and cafe near the car park. we went on the 3rd June at our allocated time of 4.30pm and it was a hot sunny day which always makes the day a better one.