Whilst we were on holiday in the New Forest we were lucky to
be offered review tickets for Exbury Gardens and steam railway. It is not
somewhere I have heard of before and to be honest, a garden might not normally
be my first choice of place to visit with my 3 young kids. However we’d have
been missing out due to my narrow mindedness and assumptions that my kids would
like something more glitzy.
We found Exbury fairly easily, once you start to get close
there are the brown signs that direct you in and I was surprised to find the
car park practically empty and the place looked pretty deserted. Upon speaking
with the receptionist I learnt that the key times for visits are April/ May
when all the world famous rhododendrons and azaleas blossom. Looking at the
brochure the colour in the gardens at that time looks amazing, really
beautiful. Once autumn is fully here that is another key time for visits too as
all the trees change.
It would then be easy to think that summer might hold
nothing much for us to see but actually the gardens are interesting and well
maintained at all times in the year. The Sun Dial and Tennis Court gardens are bright and
beautiful and the trees offer a variety of shapes, sizes and colours all the
year long. There were some unusual tree species like the Tulip Tree, Monkey
Puzzle Tree, Mahogany Maple and weeping beech.
Buggy Ride
First off to we hopped on a chauffeur driven buggy for a guided trip around the gardens, this took about 45 minutes and we hopped off to
look at the carp in one of the ponds and gladly listened to our guide tell us
about the history of the gardens and area. He was also really knowledgeable
about the species of plants on site and it was amazing to hear that just 8
gardeners tend the land on the estate (all 200 acres of it). The buggy is an
optional extra and costs £4 per person, I thought it was thoroughly worth it
and even the dog was welcome on the buggy.
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| The driver was such a friendly guy, both Miss E and Miss M took turns to sit with him and chat |
Walks through the
garden
There are 23 miles of walks through the gardens and they
offer a whole variety of different landscapes, some by the river, others
through valleys of rhododendrons and some through more formal gardens. I love
the meadow with river view that in the spring is covered in daffodils and of
course the kids love to run through the woodlands and more densely planted
areas. The paths are generally earth and can be a little uneven but there are
many that are suitable for those in wheelchairs or with disabilities.
There are lots of benches to be able to sit down and muse or
of course it is great to take a picnic and spend some time there. We hardly saw
any other people as we went around the gardens and it would be a great day for
a romantic afternoon for two. Many people had their dogs with them and they are
welcome on a short lead.
Steam Train
Of course for kids a ride on a train is always a highlight
and the Rhododendron line did not disappoint. The journey takes about 20
minutes and you have a short stop half way round so the driver can oil this
engine. The kids are invited to get off and go and have a look at the engine as
he does it.
To make it more fun for the kids there are shrubs being
trained into animal shapes and some animals made from metals around the track
for the kids to spot, some of these are really great.
After the ride it is good to take a walk into the train shed
and see the exhibit about how the railway came into being. I enjoyed the short
video watching it is all being built.
Mr Eddy’s Tea Room
This is not cheap but the food and the portions are
excellent, there is an abundance of inside and outside seating and the service
is efficient and friendly too. I had a jacket potato with coronation chicken,
salad and coleslaw for £6.50, the kids has sausage, chips and beans at £4.50
each and Dh had a cottage pie, new potatoes and vegetables for about £8.75.
This tea room was nice enough that I’d happily travel back here again just for
it. We didn't try any of the cakes but they looked excellent as well.
General Facilities
· * There is loads of free parking at Exbury
· * free wheelchair loan
· * a nice gift shop
· * well maintained toilets
· * very friendly staff
Pricing
You can opt for an ‘all-in’ ticket from 10 June – 25 October
and this includes admission to the garden a ride on the steam railway, a buggy
trip and discount vouchers for the tea room and shop. These cost £16.50 per adult
and £7.00 per child and include a voluntary gift aid donation. There are
various separate pricing options available too, take a look online.
In conclusion –
We all enjoyed our visit to Exbury Gardens and it is
somewhere we would happily come back to. As we have just moved to a 220 acre
estate ourselves my kids are now a bit spoilt for beautiful countryside to run
around but I’d say if your kids do not normally have much access to such a lot
of space then they will love the opportunity to explore this land and to let
off some steam. Take a picnic and make a family day of it. I noticed you can do
a family nature trail for £1.50 too and there are many special days and
weekends at Exbury, I particularly fancied a mushroom foraging weekend break!
A big thumbs up from
our family. 10/10, I can’t think of anything else I’d like to have found at
Exbury.
Disclosure: I was
provided with free entrance, buggy ride and steam train journey for my family
in return for this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I
remain honest.
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