We’ve found our National Trust membership comes in really handy when we go on a UK trip. There aren’t many places you can go that aren’t less than an hour from an NT property or attraction. Before we headed on our trip to north Wales we had a look at the map and noticed we were close to Bodnant Garden.
Even the drive there is beautiful as you head in the direction of Snowdon, and the garden itself offers a chance to wander, relax and find some cats – always a bonus.
The house itself is still privately owned and inhabited, so you’re limited to walking around the expansive grounds – 80 acres’ worth. If you’ve ever visited Cragside in the north east then you’ll get very similar vibes from this place. There are large meadows, intricately planted formal gardens, woodland and more – and the handy map you are given on arrival shows plenty of options as far as walks go. We opted just to wander, and picked up the marked routes as we wanted to get from one place to another.
Among the star attractions is a massive California redwood – which reminded us of our American road trip we took when the girls were still in school. The formal gardens are beautifuly manicured, and filled with all manner of varieties of roses. There were several members of staff busily tending to the plants to keep the place looking its best. We also stumbled across a very friendly cat who seemed to want to take us on a guided tour, and was very happy to stop for a fuss.
Water is a big feature of the garden, and there are lots of ponds, a small lake, and cascades to sit and admire. One of the cafes, where we had a delicious pasty, sits at the bottom of a beautiful series of small waterfalls and gives you a very relaxing place to catch your breath and fuel up. There’s another cat here as well – a black-and-white one that is constantly on the lookout for a knee to sit on. There were quite a few bemused faces as it made its choice and just jumped up onto someone’s lap.
Further into the garden is the largest of the lakes – still not very big – which is overlooked by a mausoleum known as “The Poem”. We weren’t able to go in on our visit as it’s currently being renovated, but from what I’ve since found online it would be a treat to see inside.
We ended our visit with a gentle climb back up to the main entrance through a wildflower meadow which contains dozens of signs pointing out what’s growing there. The field was buzzing with wildlife and was a lovely way to end the walk.
Before we headed back to the car we had a mooch around the garden centre and craft stalls located by the exit.
We spent about three hours in the garden, and feel like we walked most of the trails and saw everything there was to see. It’s quite a hilly site and uneven under foot in places so make sure you wear decent shoes and prepare yourself for some climbs.
