One day on our stay in Pembrokeshire, we spent exploring Colby Woodland Garden, a 900-acre National Trust property. Our vehicle’s satnav took us via a diabolical route on what looked like an old cart path on the last leg of the trip. On the way back to our holiday let we managed to escape the same route by using the map instead of the satnav and staying on the main road in Stepaside.
After parking in the upper car park, we picked up a map and were advised to head to Amroth Beach (see separate review) while the tide was out before returning to explore the garden. We struck out on the main path past the East Wood to Amroth and the beach – about ¾ mile. As we left the grounds, I took a photo of the houses on either side of the path so we would remember where to re-enter the estate as there are no signs.
After lunch we returned to the garden to explore. We made our way past a private garden attached to a holiday cottage at the south end of the Wildflower Meadow and over to the East Woods. We were looking for the glimpse of red we had seen in the morning – rhododendrons in bloom. We also found azaleas and fiddlehead ferns and came across some old coal mining equipment – mine wheels and old capped mine shafts.
Eventually we had a wander around the Bothy at the storyboards depicting the history of the garden. For an afternoon break we shared some lemon blueberry cake and cold drinks while the dogs enjoyed a dog biscuit each from the Bothy Tea-room. It was a warm afternoon and the jackets we had worn on the beach in the morning were wrapped around our waists as we explored the woodland paths. After tea, my aunt and I had a look around the gallery at the local art for sale and then my uncle had a look around the walled garden.
All in all, it was an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon in lush, green surroundings. Dogs are welcome if they are on the lead.
Parking is free for National Trust members and blue badge holders. Vehicle parking is £6 per day or £3 for up to 3 hours. The gardens and car park are open from 10 – 5:00 pm but it’s best to always check the website (Colby Woodland Garden | Pembrokeshire | National Trust). The tea-room and gallery usually close a half hour earlier; the bookshop an hour earlier. Not all the paths in the garden are wheelchair accessible as some are gravel/grass and some have steep slopes and/or steps. There are wheelchairs available upon request and the toilets are wheelchair accessible. The gallery is upstairs above the tea-room. There are estate walks you can access from the lower car park.
