Hestercombe Gardens

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Hestercombe Gardens Over 50 glorious acres and three centuries of garden design. Gorgeous food in the Stables restaurant with a sunny outside courtyard.
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Hestercombe is a collection of world-renowned gardens, featuring four centuries of design, with work by Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens + Weddings | Food | Events Somerset's 'jewel in the crown' - a major destination for leisure, events, activities, historic and gardening interest. Picnic and under 7s play area, working water mill, contemporary art gallery, second-hand book shop and plant centre. SUMMER OPENING TIMES

Gardens
10am - 6pm, daily (last entry 4:30pm)

Plant Centre
10am - 5:30pm - Free entry

The Stables Restaurant
10am - 5:00pm, daily (last orders 4:30pm)

Second-hand Book Shop
10am - 5pm, daily

Hestercombe House & Gallery
10am - 5pm, daily

Something spooky is coming to Hestercombe… 🎃This October half-term, follow the trail if you dare!Pets at Bones is coming...
11/10/2026

Something spooky is coming to Hestercombe… 🎃

This October half-term, follow the trail if you dare!

Pets at Bones is coming to Hestercombe from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November, with a spooky garden adventure for little witches, wizards and brave explorers.

Follow the Halloween Trail around the gardens before making your way to the House, where you'll find spooky Halloween craft activities.
And here's the best bit…

🎃 Children aged 15 and under go FREE with a paying adult!
The Halloween Trail costs just £1 per child.
📅 24 October – 1 November
🎟️ Normal garden admission applies
🎃 Halloween Trail: £1

No special booking needed — simply purchase your garden admission on arrival and add the trail.

Members continue to enjoy free garden admission.

A garden designed to be seen — and a morning designed to be written. Join us this Tuesday for Through Bampfylde's Eyes, ...
10/10/2026

A garden designed to be seen — and a morning designed to be written.

Join us this Tuesday for Through Bampfylde's Eyes, a creative writing walk through Hestercombe's landscape gardens.

Explore the carefully composed views of Coplestone Warre Bampfylde's landscape, stopping along the way to write, observe and experiment with setting.

How does a landscape change the mood of a story?
How can a place become part of your writing?
And what happens when you slow down and really look?

📅 Tuesday 3 November
⏰ 10.30am–12.30pm
💷 £30, including Hestercombe admission

Led by Somerset author and creative writing tutor Jo Middleton.
Suitable for writers of all levels.

Book via the link here: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/SQSERSW45TJUY?Z3JncnB0=

Did you know Hestercombe has a starring role in Pandaemonium?There’s a fascinating piece of film history hiding in our g...
07/10/2026

Did you know Hestercombe has a starring role in Pandaemonium?

There’s a fascinating piece of film history hiding in our gardens…

Julian Temple’s 2001 film Pandaemonium tells the story of the relationship between poets William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge — and much of the film was shot here in Somerset.

Hestercombe itself appears on screen, with a key scene filmed at Pear Pond in 1999. So when you visit Hestercombe, you can actually stand in the very landscape that became part of the film.

And there’s even more to discover. Throughout September and October, our Julien Temple – A Life in Film exhibition explores the filmmaker’s extraordinary career, from his early work with the punk scene and the S*x Pistols through music videos, rockumentaries and feature films.

It’s a lovely opportunity to see Hestercombe through a different lens — as both a historic landscape and a little piece of Somerset film history. 🎥

📍 Hestercombe House & Gardens
🎬 Pandaemonium exhibition connection
🏛️ Julien Temple – A Life in Film exhibition on display during September and October

See Hestercombe through Bampfylde's eyes… and then put it into words. Hestercombe's landscape gardens were designed as a...
06/10/2026

See Hestercombe through Bampfylde's eyes… and then put it into words.

Hestercombe's landscape gardens were designed as a sequence of carefully composed views — almost like a story told through place.

In Through Bampfylde's Eyes – A Writing Walk, you'll explore the gardens, stopping at selected viewpoints to take in the scenery and respond through guided writing exercises.

You'll explore how setting can shape tone, pace and perspective, while experimenting with ways to bring a location vividly to life on the page.

Led by Somerset-based author and creative writing tutor Jo Middleton, this relaxed session is suitable for writers of all levels.

📅 Tuesday 3 November
⏰ 10.30am–12.30pm
🎟️ £30 — including Hestercombe admission

Booking via PayPal — https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/SQSERSW45TJUY

Looking for a different way into creative writing? Sometimes the best story begins with simply looking.At The Art of Wor...
04/10/2026

Looking for a different way into creative writing?

Sometimes the best story begins with simply looking.

At The Art of Words, you'll explore Hestercombe's collection and use paintings and portraits as starting points for your own writing.

What story lies behind a face?
What atmosphere does a landscape create?
What happens when you turn an image into a character, a setting or a scene?

Join Somerset-based author and creative writing tutor Jo Middleton for a relaxed and practical two-hour workshop.

📅 Tuesday 6 October
⏰ 10.30am–12.30pm
💷 £30, including Hestercombe admission

Suitable for all abilities.
Book via the link here: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/H5HQ8KG6PJDBW

LAST CHANCE TO JOIN US!If you’ve been meaning to book The Art of Words – Writing from Hestercombe’s Collection, this is ...
03/10/2026

LAST CHANCE TO JOIN US!

If you’ve been meaning to book The Art of Words – Writing from Hestercombe’s Collection, this is your final weekend to secure your place.

Next Tuesday 6 October, Somerset-based author and creative writing tutor Jo Middleton will be leading a special writing workshop inspired by Hestercombe’s collection.

You’ll respond directly to paintings, portraits and landscapes from the collection, using them as inspiration for your own writing. With guided exercises exploring character, voice and atmosphere, it’s a chance to look at Hestercombe in a completely different way.

And you don’t need to be an experienced writer — the workshop is designed to be relaxed, practical and suitable for all abilities.

📅 Tuesday 6 October
⏰ 10.30am–12.30pm
🎟️ £30 including admission

🌿 Come and spend a morning surrounded by Hestercombe’s history — and see where it takes your imagination.

Places are still available, but don’t leave it too late to book!

Fancy putting Hestercombe’s history into words?There are still places available on The Art of Words – Writing from Heste...
02/10/2026

Fancy putting Hestercombe’s history into words?

There are still places available on The Art of Words – Writing from Hestercombe’s Collection next Tuesday, and we’d love to welcome you.

Join Somerset-based author and creative writing tutor Jo Middleton for a relaxed, practical writing workshop inspired by pieces from Hestercombe’s collection.

From family portraits and the Bampfylde landscapes to the atmosphere and stories of the house, you’ll be encouraged to look at the collection in a different way and turn what you see into words.

Through a series of guided exercises, you’ll explore character, voice and atmosphere — with plenty of encouragement along the way.

✨ No previous writing experience is needed — all abilities are welcome.

📅 Tuesday 6 October
⏰ 10.30am–12.30pm
🎟️ £30, including admission

If you’ve been thinking about giving it a go, now is the time to book!

👉 Places are limited, so don’t miss this opportunity to spend a morning writing at Hestercombe.

🎃🐾 Something spooky is coming to Hestercombe this October…Our Pets at Bones Halloween trail returns to the gardens from ...
01/10/2026

🎃🐾 Something spooky is coming to Hestercombe this October…

Our Pets at Bones Halloween trail returns to the gardens from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November!

Follow the spooky trail around the garden before heading into the house, where younger visitors can get stuck into some spooky Halloween crafts. 👻

And there’s some especially good news for families…

🧙 Children aged 15 and under go FREE with a paying adult!
🎟️ The trail is just £1, in addition to normal garden admission.
🌿 Hestercombe members go free.

No special booking is needed — simply come along and get ready for a little Halloween fun!

👻 Save the dates… Pets at Bones is coming!

A fresh perspective at HestercombeAs you explore Hestercombe’s historic gardens, take some time to discover the creative...
30/09/2026

A fresh perspective at Hestercombe

As you explore Hestercombe’s historic gardens, take some time to discover the creative work of the students of Pyrland School’s Art & Photography department.

Their exhibition brings together a diverse collection of artwork and photography, with everything from thoughtful studies to more experimental and expressive pieces.

It’s a chance to see Hestercombe through a younger generation of creative eyes — and to celebrate the imagination, talent and hard work of these emerging artists and photographers.

And there’s good news if you haven’t visited yet: the exhibition has been extended until Monday 5 October!

🎟️ The exhibition is included with garden admission.

Come for the gardens, stay for the art.

Step inside the world of Julien TempleIf you missed Pandaemonium — or simply want to discover more about the man behind ...
29/09/2026

Step inside the world of Julien Temple

If you missed Pandaemonium — or simply want to discover more about the man behind the film — there's another reason to visit Hestercombe this autumn.

Julien Temple – A Life in Film brings together memorabilia, imagery and film-related material charting the extraordinary career of one of Britain's most distinctive directors. With special thanks to Somerset Film for their kind help in curating this.

From his groundbreaking work with the punk scene and the S*x Pistols to music videos, rockumentaries, feature films and documentaries, the exhibition explores a career that has continually crossed the boundaries between music, film and popular culture.

And there's a special Hestercombe connection…

Temple filmed a key scene from Pandaemonium beside our Pear Pond in 1999.

Julien Temple – A Life in Film

📍 Hestercombe House
📅 On display throughout September and October

Included with garden admission.

Address

Hestercombe, Cheddon Fitzpaine
Taunton
TA28LG

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+441823413923

Website

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