Dewstow Gardens and Grottoes

Dewstow Gardens and Grottoes

Dewstow Gardens and Grottoes
4.5
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
About
Dewstow Gardens are Grottoes are recently discovered gardens built in the 1890's. buried in the 1950's and rediscovered and escavated in 2000. We are now open for the summer months and welcome visitors of all ages including pre-booked coach parties. Please check out our website for further details.
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  • Trish C
    128 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A hidden gem
    This is quite literally a hidden gem! The gardens are lovely and the grottoes and tunnels are absolutely amazing - fabulous even! The staff are really friendly and the cakes are delicious. Thanks for a wonderful afternoon.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 16 May 2024
  • dpyaffe
    Washington DC, District of Columbia67 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Gardens and Grottoes With Character
    I’m not the type to look for gardens as a sightseeing experience while traveling overseas. However, I found the Dewstow Hardens and Grottoes to have an intriguing character with some surprises. The charm was in the settings rather than the flowers themselves. Walking through the underground grottoes was a delight as were the pocket gardens and the tropical garden in a deserted building. Going down a path into small gardens, lily ponds and the alligator pit. The visit only takes an hour and was highly satisfying.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 1 July 2024
  • Kirsty S
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best day
    Visited today with my 5 year old. We had the best day! We stayed for 2.5 hours and probably could have done another hour had it not been raining. Gutted that we just found out this place exists just as they're closing. We will be back with my husband and our 2 year old before then. It's been ages since we had a day just the 2 of us and we couldn't have picked a better place for it. He took the lead and had a blast. He LOVED the quiz sheet. It was also fantastic to find somewhere that was free for under 6's. It's been a really challenge to find affordable things to do in the school holidays. This will be a core memory for us for sure. It's so close to Caldicot Castle too and they pair nicely together.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 7 August 2024
  • citybreakfan33
    Newport, United Kingdom77 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Pity it is closing.
    We visited Dewstow gardens and Grottoes for the first time, and really liked it. So many pretty corners and we liked the tunnels! It’s looking a bit tired now, and I wish I had seen it on spring and summer. I am sad that it is closing down.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 31 August 2024
  • gpa66
    Bristol, United Kingdom433 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful little place off the beaten track
    What a wonderful little place to visit. Huge gardens with lots of twists and turns and interesting aspects to it. I went solo but there were lots of families and plenty of room for children to run around. Staff were lovely and friendly.
    Visited September 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 14 September 2024
  • greywave
    14 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful Dewstow Gardens
    First visit and we found an amazing garden and grottoes. Of course the weather helped but reception staff welcoming and helpful. The gardens and paths wonderful, the grottoes interesting. Such a pity this garden is closing at the end of the month. Isn’t there someone out there who could rescue it?
    Visited September 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 18 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles542 reviews
Excellent
431
Very good
86
Average
16
Poor
5
Terrible
4

Sarah
285 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020 • Couples
We were amazed by this garden (Grade 1 listed). Had to visit on a rainy day as it was the last day of the season it was open. Cost £7.50 for an adult and well worth it. Opens at 10 am with last visitors at 3.30 for 5 pm close. Not suitable for those with mobility issues. We loved all the surprise underground chambers and passages with their ponds and flowing water. The lush, exotic planting all tied in with the theme. There were more tunnels as we passed the main house. After that we saw plenty of above ground ponds and bridges and little waterfalls and fountains. Spent an hour and a half there but would have been longer if not for the pouring rain. Views out to Severn Estuary. Some lovely planting schemes as well. My only complaint would be the large modern gnomes dotted around, but I skilfully cropped them from my photos. I have no problem with old gnomes, as I have some myself, but don’t care for new ones. Cafe area sold a range of hot/cold drinks and some very nice cakes. Will be visiting again next season with our children (12 to 21) and probably take in Caldicot Castle as well.
Written 30 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bam
2 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Couples
Good home made cake, and nice gardens.

The actual grounds are a lot smaller than I expected and for the price of £7.50 per adult I don't feel I got much value for money.

Ideal if you wish to spend an expensive hour outside.
Written 16 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John M
Bristol, UK66 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Couples
We didn't know about this place until it was featured in the Guardian's "10 of the UK's best hidden destinations". Its, a beautifully planted garden with a huge variety of flowers, exuberant borders, lawns, lily ponds and a fascinating old-fashioned grotto. There was plenty of room to be socially distanced (and progress through the grotto is, of necessity, one way traffic). It's an ideal stroll for older people with loads of open grassy space for young children to play safely. The indoor café is currently closed but you can buy cakes, scones, tea, coffee, etc (but no savoury items at present) and sit at the adjacent tables - or, as some visitors did, bring a picnic. It's well worth the admission price. We'll be going again when we're able to have house guests we want to entertain.
Written 22 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Steve25_12
Esher, UK240 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021
We arrived early on a dampish morning after being recommended to it by our Hotel and for a while were the only people there which made the gardens even more special with the atmosphere. They are fascinating with differing vistas and you constantly ask yourself why someone would have dug out all the tunnels and grottos but we are glad they did.
Great views of surrounding countryside as well. very friendly people , good selection of tasty looking cakes available as well in small cafe
These are well worth a visit , even when wet, but as others have said probably not great for those with mobility issues
Written 15 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MarcusHurley
Calne, UK10,807 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
This was a really surprising find. We live nearby but hadn't heard of this place even though we have visited Caldicot many times. The actual entrance sign isn't easy to spot so we did drive past and had to turn around.
Once inside there is a large car park and everything is well signposted. Staff are really friendly and helpful and there is a useful map as without it we would have missed a large part of the gardens.
The paths take you through the grottoes and water gardens and they are very different and certainly aimed at making gardens fun for all the family. Our grand daughter loved the fairy houses and it really did get her imagination going.
After the grottoes there are the main gardens to explore with some lovely benches and viewing areas to take in the panorama and reflections. To finish off there is a cafe with lots of picnic tables and lovely cakes!
All in all we spent a lovely couple of hours wandering round at our own pace. The entrance cost was decent and when we arrived there were only two other families there although it was certainly busier when we left. A unique set of buildings that deserves more awareness and promotion.
Written 29 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PandaD
8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
A beautiful and unusual garden. The grottos were fascinating and the rock/water gardens just lovely in May. So nice to visit a small independent garden rather than the slick generic ones from the big heritage/garden organisations. No shop or big cafe, just friendly staff in the little reception who served us tea and cake which we ate on the tables outside while watching the birds.
Written 24 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stanjeve
Blackwood, UK96 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
Well laid out gardens with a different view around every corner. Children will love the grottoes with the stepping stones, water pools and fish. Ideal place for a picnic in pleasant surroundings, or a drink and snack in the cafe, with a good variety of delicious cakes.
Written 19 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

emanmahmoud1
Newport, UK285 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Friends
I went with a friend from Carmarthen after a Cardiff friend suggested this place. Although I live 10 minutes away but never heard of it. So I looked it up first and saw hundreds of pictures and there we went. It was a nice sunny July day. First of all, road leading to it is very thin windy country lane. Car park on the grass. Entrance is too expensive £7.50 per person. Receptionist said it will take over an hour to see the gardens and grottoes but it really took us 15 minutes and we were done. There’s nothing really exciting to any of us. I felt so embarrassed in front of my friend. We walked around the gardens one more then we sat at the cafe. That was another disappointment as due to COVID restrictions, there was no meals, instead they served over the counter cakes & pasties with hot and cold drinks. I wasn’t even interested in taking photos at all. I will not go again.
Written 2 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

197Marcym38
Cardiff, UK4 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Family
Beautiful gardens and grottoes lotsof space for children to run around. Trip cut short by bonfire on grounds expelling ash and smoke into the air. Clothes and hair covered by the ash and smelling of smoke, children coughing and slightly distressed 😐
Written 26 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sem229
Bristol, UK76 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Couples
Wow, wow and wow! We only live a short hop across the Severn Bridge from these stunning gardens and grottoes, and we only found out about them through the Gardeners’ World 2for1 gardens offer, so it was even better value, though the entrance fee is very reasonable anyway. We spent a lovely couple of hours and had our picnic on the lawns, in a shady spot on a very hot day. The coffee and cake we had in the cafe at the entrance was excellent too. We shall definitely be back.
Written 24 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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DEWSTOW GARDENS AND GROTTOES: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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