“Experience 50 acres of quintessential Somerset gardens, near Taunton. Spanning three centuries of garden design, Hestercombe Gardens offer a unique combination and varied experience of the Georgian Landscape Garden (designed 1750s), the Victorian Shrubbery and the Edwardian Formal Gardens (early 1900s).”

The gardens include a wooded valley following a stream with ponds and temples, plus a formal garden designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, with colours specified by garden designer Gertrude Jekyll (Grade 1 listed).

There is a cafe/restaurant and picnics are allowed. Dogs are welcome across virtually all the site. Hestercombe House is also open and usually contains an exhibition.

Admission is £16.90 for an adult (£15.30 without gift aid, as at February), or free to Historic Houses members. In 2025 Hestercombe participated in Gardeners World magazine 2-for-1 entry, so it may be worth checking the May 2026 issue to see if it is participating again.