dorothy clive garden

Many thanks for your positive review of our new Winter Woodland Garden and of your recent visit in general. Good feedback makes all the hard effort so worthwhile. I will make sure that your kind words are passed on to our garden team and volunteers.

We went for a pre-Christmas family day out. Our 7 year old grand-daughter loved feeding the reindeer, judging the Christmas trees and having her face painted as a reindeer. It was very reasonably priced. The staff made us feel very welcome. We enjoyed a lovely couple of hours here.

We always enjoy visiting Dorothy Clive in the Spring to see the bluebells and the colours in the quarry area, but this year we have also had a great time at the insect day, including pond dipping, moth trapping and free crafts; we then returned in the autumn to repeat the pond dipping and compare our findings. We had a fun night out at Robin Hood and enjoyed the summer games on the field. The food at the cafe is good, especially the warming stew in October. Definitely somewhere i'd recommend for goos value family events.

Incredible that so much plant diversity is grown in such a small plot of land!My mother loved the gardens and we both enjoyed the cafe that had good food and service.

I recently escorted a group of 22 Seniors here. The previous administration regarding booking was easy and pleasant, our coach was clearly directed to its parking slot and our booked 'gardener' arrived on time to escort and explain the garden. Without exception the group thoroughly enjoyed this hour long tour despite the gardens being on a slope. The 92 year old said she hardly noticed!.The guide Marcus gave information clearly and cleverly judged at what level to pitch it, not too detailed and certainly not patronising. His detailed knowledge was evident when answering questions from the 'serious' gardeners in the group.The choice, prices and especially the service in the tea room was superb. This was a 2 hour visit that is excellent value and I will certainly include on future tours.

What a beautiful place to visit. We are fairly low key gardeners but found it so interesting and peaceful. Dog and children friendly, its just such a great place to spend a few hours. Also had dinner in the tea rooms and the quality and presentation of the food was well above your average tea room standard - pleasant surprise!

This gem of a garden has an incredible range of plants and trees and is as great for the keen gardener as it is if you just want a lovely wander followed by tea and cake in the tea room! Over the years I have visited with the family and the range of interest has certainly increased over recent years with lots of educational interest as well. The staff are always so freindly and helpful too.

Always enjoyed coming here with my family when I was younger, and it's just as good today. Magnificent lawns and beautiful from top to bottom, not too pricey, nice facilities and something for the kids as well.

We attended at a plant fair day so there were several nurseries offering plants for sale at very reasonable prices. Having made a few purchases we went for a tea break in the modern, tea rooms and shop where we enjoyed coffee and home made cake on the lawn in front taking advantage of the autumn sunshine. After we toured the well endowed gardens with its winding paths and something of the feel of a journey through a maze. Plenty to look at and admire and small children's area behind the tea room. Good facilities and lots of plant interest made it very well worth the modest entry fee.

I've visited before in the Spring when the azaleas and rhododendrons are in full bloom and make an amazing sight. This time we enjoyed the late summer colour of the flower borders and the trees which were just starting to turn gold.I parked at the bottom and my 91 year old mother and I walked slowly up the drive to the small, but friendly, restaurant. Stopping to admire the plants for sale outside. After a delicious lunch (quiche & salad) we meandered up to the top of the slope, avoiding steps wherever possible. Sat for a while & admired the view before walking down through the woodland, back to the restaurant for tea and cake. The final walk was to zig-zag down the lawns, admiring the fantastic rich colours of the flower borders before reaching the pond at the bottom.I shall definitely go again - possibly in the winter, or mid summer - to see how many more colours they can produce.

I've visited many gardens, but this is the best garden to explore in the county! Why? Well what it is, it’s the flowers they’re so colourful, they’re so fragranced and they’re so varied! On second thoughts what it is, it’s the place, it’s so ideally located near to Bridgemere, it’s so spacious yet so compact, what’s more it’s so up and downy, with so many seats for a good sit downy! But thinking again, what it is, it’s the tearoom, it’s so jam packed with Cream Teas, it’s so alfresco on a sunny day, yet it’s so cosy on a rainy day, above all its so quintessentially English! But then again, what it is, it’s the staff, they’re so welcoming, they’re so attentive, and they’re so friendly to even to the most demanding of visitors! Alas, alas what it is, it’s the special events! It’s the theatre it’s so cool, it’s the tours they’re so warm and friendly, or then again it’s the Chilli festival, it’s so, well, it’s so hot, hot, hot!Oh, no, can I change my mind again?... I think, what it is, it’s all five... the special flowers, the special place, the special tearoom, the special staff and last but by no means least the special events! Oh by the way... did I mention the bronze Stag? Well, what it is, it’s just...... no, no, I won't spoil it, see for yourselves... and perhaps you'll be as dotty about the 'Dotty' as I am!

We visited this lovely garden on the August Bank Holiday weekend. We pad £3.75 instead of £6.75 because there was a plant fare which was a bonus.The garden s built on a slope and there are over two hundred steps to the top so those less mobile would find it difficult. The garden is in two parts - ,wonderfully mixed herbaceous borders and a woodland complete with waterfall, rhododendrons and lots of interesting trees, There is a daffodil walk which together with the shrubs will give a wonderful display in spring.The café serves afternoon teas with inside and outside seating.Dogs are allowed everywhere in the garden which was another bonus for us.Definitely worth a visit and we will return in the spring to walk in the woodland

Dorothy Clive Garden is a beautiful and fascinating place that we've visited many times but went on Saturday for the first time to their outdoor production of "The Taming of the Shrew" by Folksy Theatre which we enjoyed immensely.The situation outside the excellent tea room with its natural acting area and fantastic views was a superb setting and the production was one of the most enjoyable outdoor Shakespeare we've ever seen: you couldn't stop laughing out loud all the way through. The actors' attack, timing, characterization, use of the acting space and sheer verve were outstanding. A super evening, can't wait for next year but will be back to these sublime gardens before then!

M wife took out a family pass for this year so she and the kids can go whenever they want, and has made good use of it - just a short trip down the road and the kids can either race around or sit and have a quiet picnic (or as quietly as they can picnic). Lovely grounds and so much of them. Hard to believe that one man did this for his wife.

Whether walking through the old quarry with its plethora of rhododendrons, enjoying the colourful flowerbeds or taking a stroll at the top of the garden with its beautiful views, the Dorothy clive Garden is a splendid place for the avid gardener or anyone wishing for peace and quiet in a lovely setting. The small cafe provides an excellent selection of hot and cold lunches and tasty afternoon teas and there is a shop selling good quality souvenir items. You can also buy a plant or two. This is well worth a half day visit with lunch or afternoon tea as an accompanying treat.