With the kids in Bristol: Westbury Court Garden

Set in the tranquil village of Westbury-on-Severn, Westbury Court Garden is a hidden gem where families can escape the chaos of every day life.

The entrance to the garden is quite unassuming, and driving down the little lane it isn’t clear what to expect. I was a little apprehensive as to whether it would be enough for my children, but I needn’t have been worried.

On arrival, we were given a very warm welcome by the friendly staff. Admissions at Westbury Court is a quaint little hut serving hot and cold drinks, plants for sale and an intimate little bookshop. It may be small but it has bags of personality, and unlike other National Trust properties that we’ve visited, there is no big stately home to explore: just plenty of outdoor space for the children to roam freely. To prepare ourselves for the horticultural adventure ahead of us we grabbed a hot chocolate each and off we set.

On entering the gardens, I immediately noticed the impressive stone wall that protects the property. My kids, on the hand, noticed the large rectangular pond which is home to some very friendly fish. It was a fab opportunity to get up close and personal – literally – with the wildlife, as you’re encouraged to feed the fish with fish food. I was very aware that my kids were likely to fall in, they can be a little excitable, so I kept an eye on them before we moved on.

We followed the apple tree walled walkway and as usual my kids educated me on the flowers that were growing: “Here’s a red one and that’s a blue one.” My children also loved the hidden seating areas nestled in the hedges, so much so that they insisted on playing peek-a-boo. It was cute the first five times.

As we turned the corner, my children were left open-mouthed as they took in the sight of the large pond. It was beautifully manicured but without a guard-rail, so keep a close eye on your brood to prevent them throwing themselves in the water.

I managed to briefly look at the neat vegetable patches as my children were pulling me towards the stream that runs through the property, because they wanted to play pooh sticks. This is something that is turning into a bit of a tradition, and is always a good way to spend a bit of time, having some gentle family competition.

One thing that was music to my ears is the fact that Westbury Court encourages visitors to take a picnic. We sat in the rustic picnic area we watched the world go by whilst tucking into our lunch before continuing to explore the grounds.

Two things that my children could not stop talking about were the 400 year-old-tree, and the bees that have a hive up in one of the branches of a nearby tree. It might have been a very big tree but that didn’t deter my youngest from giving it a cuddle. As for the hive, we only took a peek as my children were scared that the bees would come after them.

Before leaving, we took the opportunity to take a birds eye view of the breathtaking surroundings by looking out of the Pavilion so that we could see the full extent of the gardens.

This may be one of the smaller National Trust properties but it still has lots of charm and is beautifully kept. Although there are no scheduled activities for children, there is more than enough to see to keep the kiddies amused for a few hours.

Entry to Westbury Court Garden costs £7.30 for adults and £3.65 for children, while annual National Trust membership starts from £69. Find out more at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/westbury-court-garden