A Day at Barnsdale Gardens

Hi there everyone 😀

It was time for our annual catch up with my old work friends and this year we were meeting up in Stamford, on what ended up being an absolute scorcher of a July weekend.

As usual, we tried to fit in a visit to somewhere nice on the way to our meet up and this time we ended up at Barnsdale Gardens. It’s somewhere we’ve been wanting to visit for a while … but it’s a bit far for a day trip and it’s not in an area that we visit often.

As garden lovers and followers of Gardeners’ World … we were quite excited to visit one of the earlier Gardeners’ World Gardens … from the time when Geoff Hamilton was at the helm.

It was a lovely drive over. The garden is nestled in the heart of Rutland, just a stone’s throw from Rutland Water. It really is like a patchwork quilt of small individual gardens … each one distinct and full of character, yet all flowing beautifully together …

Our first stop was The Helenium Tea Room where, with literally one minute to spare, we were just in time for breakfast. Phil & Sue, one of the couples we were meeting up with had had the same idea and they were just finishing off their cream tea. After we’d finished fortifying ourselves … we were ready for a good wander in the soaring temperatures and headed into the garden. 

The garden guide was invaluable and made sure that we took the best route so as not to miss any of the 38 individual gardens that there are to see. I certainly have to take my hat off to anyone who has the vision and motivation to take a plot of land and turn into something like Barnsdale.

Whilst we were just a few weeks too late to see some of the gardens at the best there were still plenty of pops of colour to be found …

We ambled along at a very leisurely pace, stopping often to admire the planting, take photos, and just soak it all in …

The heat did make our visit a bit of a challenge, but one of the things we really appreciated was how well thought-out the layout is – there are plenty of shady spots to rest, and benches dotted around at just the right moments. It made such a difference being able to pause, sit down and enjoy the gardens from a cooler, quiet corner …

The garden really does have everything … from a traditional cottage garden, to more formal layouts, wildlife-friendly areas, and even a small kitchen garden packed with herbs and veggies. It’s one of those places where there is plenty of scope for inspiration …

One of my favourites was the Formal Pool and Knot Garden – a lovely, cool and peaceful space that felt a bit like stepping back in time. There were plump lavender hedges, absolutely humming with the buzzing of hundreds of busy bumble bees …

I was also very taken with planting at the front of The Allotment …

The whole of the garden was abuzz with wildlife … butterflies and bees simply everywhere …

By the time we had made it to green number 34, The Courtyard Gardens we were all flagging a bit and Sue and Phil opted for ice creams, whilst Martin and I very swiftly had a look at the last few … before doing the same …

We’d really enjoyed our visit, in spite of the heat. The only thing that would have made it better would have been a shady spot to sit somewhere with our ice cream … after we’d come out of the garden. We ended up in the car with air con blasting. 

There is also a shop and a plant nursery but it was too hot for us this time and we were glad to be heading off to Stamford for the rest of our weekend … very grateful for modern car air conditioning. 

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Lodge Life :: June 2025

Hi there everyone 😀

After a busy month and some scorching temperatures at home we managed to escape for a week at the lodge right at the end of June … with mum in tow. 

Whilst the temperature forecasts for Wales were far lower than home we did manage to have a few really nice days out and about and … we were all glad of a bit of respite from the low 30s they were having back at home. 

We arrived on a lovely sunny day and were soon unpacked and off to Aldi for some provisions … glad to get that out of the way so we could just enjoy the rest of our week. 

Our first full day and the weather was better than predicted so we decided to make the best of it and have a big day out. It did start off quite overcast and our first stop was the Treborth Botanical Gardens at Bangor. 

These gardens are really tucked away and you are not likely to stumble across them by accident so they are normally relatively quiet. They are also free to enter which always feel like a win. 

Since we last visited quite a lot of activity has been undertaken and we just loved the new garden filled with raised stone beds just stuffed full of interesting medicinal planting … 

We had a relatively short wander through the woods to the cascades …

… before finding ourselves at another new garden added since our last visit. This is ‘The Size of Wales Garden’ which was a gold medal winning garden at The Chelsea Flower Show in 2024. It has been transferred to Treborth as it’s forever home …

We ended up at the glasshouses which we had a walk round after taking in some the beautiful flowers in full display out front  …

By the time we came out of the glasshouses the weather had changed dramatically … blue skies and sunshine were a very welcome appearance …

We probably just spent about an hour and a half at Treborth before heading across The Menai for our next stop …

Whilst we have visited Plas Cadnant before it was mum’s first visit. As it is not a particularly accessible garden mum and Martin got a discount as they both would only be able to visit the upper part of the garden, which was an unexpected surprise. 

We started off with lunch in the cafe, which was pretty busy, considering the garden hadn’t been open for long. 

After lunch we had a good old wander …

It really is a lovely garden and immaculately kept. I think we will be back again in August with Jackie and Phil. 

We finished our day out with a call in at the shop that sells all sorts by the railway station with the long name. Surprisingly … Martin made the only purchase 😜

The following day the weather started out a bit dull again. We decided to head out but not go too far this time and ended up at the Lloyd George Museum in Llanystumdwy, somewhere we’ve wanted to have a look at for a while. 

We parked up in the village and crossed the river to have a look at his final resting place …

… which is in a beautiful spot above the the river. It was then a short walk across the road to the museum …

Whilst the museum itself is very heavy on the need to read stuff we all found it really interesting. There was a short film which we all enjoyed and a display of objects telling his story – brilliantly and uniquely decorated caskets and scrolls presented to him as freedom of the city honours, such as a stunning silver model of Cricieth Castle presented by the town. Also on display are, medals, paintings, pictures, documents such as the Versailles Treaty and the first old ages pension handed out in Wales. 

After finding all about his life we had a look in his uncle’s shoemaker’s shop next door and the cottage which was his childhood home. 

There is a small Victorian garden …

… complete with privy …

… and a fun Number 10 installation …

From Llandystwmdwy we headed into Criccieth for lunch with a view …

Whilst we were away we also managed to fit in a short walk and lunch at Y Felinheli …

… fish and chips on the front and the lifeboat launch in Criccieth …

… a very quick visit to Nant Gwrtheyrn …

… a short walk at Trefor …

… and the most fabulous pizza at the airport cafe …

All too soon it was time to head for home and we made the most of the journey with a stop off in Llangollen for a picnic lunch by the side of the river …

We can’t wait to be back again later this month but, for now, we have a garden in need of attention ☺️

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