The first reference to a garden at Hestercombe is from a medieval document of 1249 which records…read more'my Lord of Hestercombe's garden'. The next reference is from the estate accounts of Sir Francis Warre for, ironically, pulling down a garden hedge in 1698. In 1731 John Bampfylde, MP for Exeter, who had married Sir Francis's daughter Margaret in 1718, commissioned plans for a garden from a Mr Brown of London. Coplestone Warre Bampfylde designed and laid out the Landscape Garden as we know it today, after inheriting the estate from his father in 1750. Miss Elizabeth Warre, the last of her line, died in 1872 and in the following year, Hestercombe was acquired by the 1st Viscount Portman who undertook considerable remodelling of the house including the creation of the Victorian Terrace. In 1903, the Hon Edward Portman, his grandson and Hon Mrs Portman, commissioned Sir Edwin Lutyens to create a new formal garden with a planting scheme designed by Gertrude Jekyll. Hestercombe Garden's Formal Garden is arguably the finest example of her collaboration with Sir Edwin Lutyens. In 1944 the estate was sold to the Crown Estate with the exception of Hestercombe House and the Formal Garden. These were sold to the Somerset County Council in 1978. Since October 2003, the gardens have been managed by the Hestercombe Gardens Trust. Somerset County Council transferred the freehold of the house, Formal Garden and visitor centre to the Hestercombe Gardens Trust, under the Community Asset Transfer Scheme, thereby reuniting the house with its historic landscape for the first time in more than 60 years. In September 2018, thanks to a grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Hestercombe Gardens Trust was able to acquire land totalling 320 acres, securing the world-class, Grade 1 heritage landscape, gardens and buildings for future generations.

Nice walking. Don't forget go further: gardens are nice but lakes and walk up into the hill is…read morereally amazing.

One of the larger Parks in Bristol, this is a much needed green expanse to offer the people of…read moreFishponds and eastville a place to come on sunny days and enjoy some fresh air. It is not recomended to go to this park once it starts to get dark as their is a bad reputation that seems to go hand in hand with it. People seem to respect this park which is nice and you don't see much littering, I thinkit is so important to keep park areas in citys clean and safe as it encourages more people to come and use it and enjoy everything that a park can offer.

I feel safe enough mooching around this grand Victorian city park or taking the dog for a walk in…read morebroad daylight. After dark I would skirt around the outside, as the park has a dodgy reputation that I don't want to test out for the purpose of a Yelp review (sorry folks). Eastville is a much needed expanse of green cornering onto Fishponds, Eastville, Stapleton and Easton (all mainly concrete/Victorian stone areas). It also provides a good space for a kick-about and it's one of the city's main community footballing venues. On a geeky nature way, I also enjoy exploring the wildlife areas and lake in the park - last summer I even caught sight of a kingfisher (no kidding) and heron, ducks and moorhen all thrive here. What I didn't expect, late on a Summer's evening, are the bats that flit around the trees - this is Bristol!! OK, so I'm not much of a birdwatcher/bat fanatic really, so back to what I do know - a good walk in the park. You can leave your car in the alloted spaces in Park Avenue and from there wander into the park. The lake, community garden and 100 year old the bowling greens remain. Some months they house a funfair, other times there is an Asian festival in full swing (complete with delicious curries for sale). Original features Victorian drinking fountain and toilets remain, although you probably want to avoid them at all costs!

Located near historic Llandaff Village, Llandaff Cathedral and Bishops castle, Insole Court has…read moresome beautiful gardens open throughout the year, with a huge variety of plants for those with an interest in botanicals. The listed manor house itself is stunning, built in the 1850s by James Harvey Insole to reflect his growing wealth from coal exportation, and the whole estate is in a Conservation Area and is owned by Cardiff Council. The house is used for community activities and the gardens are equally popular amongst locals. Some are ornamental and kept well-manicured, and others are wild and full of wildlife. There are some rare trees, too, many of them planted in Victorian times, plus wooded areas. There are family events such as theatre productions and puppet shows put on during the year, and it's a popular spot for summer picnics. If you haven't visited, go there on the next sunny day and take a picnic - it's a really tranquil spot away from the city centre and heavy traffic.

I enjoyed the tour tremendously. The staff were all very well informed, personable, and…read moreenthusiastic about sharing the heritage of the Insole family with the public. Part of my tour was speaking with staff members. Another part was a well-prepared audio. Not the type one hears through headphones. This was stories told from the perspectives of various members of the Insole family, in well orchestrated monologues and dialogues. Highly recommend!

For anyone who's read a number of my reviews, you might notice that I like my parks, gardens and…read moremuseums. I'm an outdoors lover, and really want to share my wonderful memories with everyone on Yelp! So here goes! I really like Dyffryn Gardens, and would love the opportunity to go have more looks around. They are the wonderful grounds of an old manor house. It is in fact a series of gardens, or 'garden rooms', each of which have a distinct style or mood. It's another one of those places that has surprises and discoveries around every corner. My personal favourite is a little spring with a pool full of coins, which I recall getting very wet in as a child. It should be noted that they close at 4pm during winter, and last admission is a hour before closing. So you better get down there now.

Probably one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever visited and i've been to a few. Its only 10…read moreminutes away from Cardiff city centre and yet few people I've spoken to have never heard of it. Its just got everything really, like a childrens area, open spaces, wooded areas, water features and beautiful flowers. They even have a shop and cafe and public loos. You have to pay to get in, not really cheap at £6.50 per adult and £2.50 per child in the summer but when you see the amount of work it takes to look after the cost if justified and also keeps it a bit more peaceful. Gorgeous place.

Dispenser gardens isn't the best of green spaces I've seen, but it certainly serves the local…read morecommunity very well and is always buzzing with kids. The gardens consist of a two small colourful, wood chipped playgrounds, some seating and a football area with goals. There are also some mature trees and a small Victorian hut. The space has certainly benefitted from the recent facelift given to around 40 of Cardiff's green spaces earlier this year and is a lot perkier than the last time I visited it.

If you're in the centre of town Sophia Gardens is just a stones throw away (as long a you have…read morebionic arm) but be careful as throwing stones could be dangerous. It's a lovely park as are lots of parks in Cardiff but why pick this one? I can think of 3 reasons: First of all - look at the picture i've attached (the tree lined avenue) nice isn't it? Secondly if you have a bike and fancy a ride then its very handy to park here and take the taff trail (see other review). And thirdly it is home to Swalec Sports Stadium - where you can watch some cricket at the home of Welsh cricket. And I know I said I had 3 reasons but here is a fourth - once a year Zippo's Circus is located here.

Sophia gardens are now little more than a green area nestled on the other side of the River Taff…read morefrom Bute Park, before you hit the main Cathedral Road. Many people will probably only know it as a pleasant cut through to Y Mochyn Du and the Welsh Sports Institute. But in the past the stretch of grass here has been used for the circus when it comes to town, and many a wedding reception. With the iconic Taff Trail cycle route taking you straight through these gardens, and a near-centre car park on site, this patch of greenery is usually quite a busy little place, full of tourists and locals making their way through. Yet with Bute Park just a bridge away, few people ever choose to sit and stop in Sophia Gardens which is sad, because I thank that sometimes, when the sun is out and the larger park is full of semi-naked bodies, Sophia Gardens can be a nice place to get away and smell the daisies.

The Apex Park is an informal leisure and wildlife park, created around the former clay pits - now…read moresmall lakes - of the Apex Brick works. The works closed in 1966, and the park was created and opened in 1972. The park, consisting of grassland, trees and hedgerows, covers some 42 acres. There are two main lakes: the larger, central one has an attractive hour-glass shape and its banks are lined with rushes. There are walks around this lake with park benches, and footpaths branch off to go to Highbridge (along the line of the old railway) and to Burnham's South Promenade, following the river bank of the River Brue (very muddy after wet weather!). There is a large car park off Marine Drive, which leads to a broad slipway into the lake. The other lake forms the park's north west boundary and lies partly within the Haven Holiday Village. Popular activities include BMX biking, model radio-controlled boating, jogging (there's a 'trim-trail' with various pieces of keep-fit apparatus) and fishing - the lakes are stocked with carp and bream. Dog obedience sessions also take place most Sunday mornings in good weather, and there's a children's play area and skate park. As well as the fish, wildlife includes birds, including geese, ducks, swans and various different types of sea bird, and the hedgerows contain a variety of different types of trees and bushes, home to insect and bird life. NB: The Highbridge Angling Association holds the fishing rights for the Apex Park. Permits can be obtained from Thyers Tackle Shop, 1A Church St, Highbridge - telephone 01278 786934.

Apex park is a beautiful wildlife reserve consisting of lakes, fish, sea birds, outdoor gym and…read morecarpark. There is loads to do with the features of the park including skating at the skate park, a rope climb and dog poo total wipeout. There is also adult entertainment with the odd dogger in the carpark on a summer Sunday evening. Overall apex park is a beautiful visit with activities fort all the family

This is the main 'formal' park in Burnham on Sea. It's where my Mum used to take my brother and me…read moreas toddlers. (We have the ancient-looking black and white photographs to prove it!). The gardens and the whitewashed Manor House were sold to the then local council in 1904 and opened to the public a year later. They have been maintained as formal gardens ever since, with areas of lawn and formally planted beds, surrounded by trees, and a traditional stone wall at the rear. The bandstand in the middle was rebuilt in 1995 as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of VE day. The Manor House was used by the Council as an office, but was sold in 2000 to a charitable trust. Adjacent to the gardens is the oddly-named Crosses Pen, added in 1943 to provide tennis courts, which are still there. AT one time there was a popular putting green here, but it is now a green open space with informal lawns and scattered trees. To the east of the gardens is Burnham's Bowling Green. The gardens are occasionally the venue for events such as jazz festivals, and can be hired.

.Love the Manor Gardens and visit often and would like it to be given a good sweep with a broom…read morefrom time to time !