This post is based on a visit in April 2021. Please double check information with venue direct before setting off as information and facilities available change over time.
At the moment, the gardens operate with an annual pass system. We paid £25 for a family pass (2 adults and up to 3 children under the age of 13). This allows you unlimited visits across the full year with the exception of a few special events.
£25 is expensive and if this was going to be our only visit this year, I do not think it would be worth it. However as we plan to visit a couple of times in the next 12 months, I think our pass offers good value. It is always nice to know we have the option to pop in for a stroll when we are in the area too.
Wynyard Hall Gardens are one of those rare attractions at the moment where you do not need to pre-book a time slot or buy your tickets online first. Simply turn up during opening hours and buy your annual pass on arrival at the entrance (inside the farm shop/tea room). It is card payment only at the moment. If you do wish to save a little bit of time, you can buy your pass online first but as it is so quick and easy, I think it is actually better to just buy on the door rather than having to hunt out booking confirmations etc....
Annual Pass prices are as follows:
- Adults (and over 13s): £7.50
- Concessions (including over 60s, NHS staff and under 13s): £5.50
- Family Pass: £25
- Under 3s: Free
Make sure you keep hold of your annual pass and don't lose it as information is not stored electronically.
There is ample free parking directly outside of the gardens at Wynyard Hall, use postcode TS22 5NF and follow the signs around the estate for the gardens.
Customer toilets are available inside of the farm shop and dogs are welcome on leads. You can visit Wynyard Hall gardens with a pushchair and most of the areas seemed to be accessible. The only exception I could see was the woodland walk where there are one set of steps and some inclines. The ground around the woodland walk is not always a smooth surface either.
The gardens (minus the woodland walk) are accessible for pushchairs and wheelchairs. You can read Wynyard Hall's accessibility statement here.
Wynyard Hall Farm Shop, Cafe & Toilets
At the moment, the farm shop, cafe and customer toilets are free to visit and you can enjoy these facilities without paying for entry to the garden. They are indoors so face coverings should be worn in line with Government guidance. The customer toilets are just as you enter the building and the only ones available to garden visitors.
The farm shop sells a selection of baked goods and has a small butchers counter. There is quite a wide selections of local produce for sale. Prices are in line with what you would expect from a premium farm shop. Payment is by card only at the moment.
The farm shop sells a selection of baked goods and has a small butchers counter. There is quite a wide selections of local produce for sale. Prices are in line with what you would expect from a premium farm shop. Payment is by card only at the moment.
The cafe is currently operating a takeaway service. There is outdoor seating available to customers which overlooks the garden and is available without paying an entrance fee. Again, prices are at the higher end (eg £4 for a slice of chocolate cake). It is the kind of place we would visit as a treat. A sandwich, pie, slice of cake and three drinks set us back £17.50.
Our food was all lovely. We visited on a sunny Sunday lunchtime and there were plenty of free tables. It wasn't busy at all and was a lovely place to relax.
There is a good one-way system in place and COVID protocols seemed to be excellent.
Our food was all lovely. We visited on a sunny Sunday lunchtime and there were plenty of free tables. It wasn't busy at all and was a lovely place to relax.
There is a good one-way system in place and COVID protocols seemed to be excellent.
Wynyard Hall Gardens
On arrival, you can pick up a complimentary guide to visiting Wynyard Gardens. I would recommend doing this as it shares a little bit of the garden's history, lists all the 135 different species of roses in the garden and contains a handy map.
The gardens were super quiet on the day of our visit and there are several sections to explore including water fountains, the marquee garden, the wild garden and an edible garden.
It is a lovely place for a peaceful stroll and there is seating throughout so ideal for those who are less mobile.
We visited in April and had just missed the best of the blossom. It was too early for the garden's roses too but we did see some nice displays of tulips and daffodils. I think if we had paid £25 just for this one visit, I would have been disappointed with the number of plants in bloom but this is the nature of gardens.
There are over 3000 roses at Wynyard Garden and I am so excited to return in the summer and check out their display. Because we are able to do this, I don't think I can complain too much about the lack of spring colour. We are also in the middle of a pandemic and I think this needs to be taken into consideration.
It is a lovely place for a peaceful stroll and there is seating throughout so ideal for those who are less mobile.
We visited in April and had just missed the best of the blossom. It was too early for the garden's roses too but we did see some nice displays of tulips and daffodils. I think if we had paid £25 just for this one visit, I would have been disappointed with the number of plants in bloom but this is the nature of gardens.
There are over 3000 roses at Wynyard Garden and I am so excited to return in the summer and check out their display. Because we are able to do this, I don't think I can complain too much about the lack of spring colour. We are also in the middle of a pandemic and I think this needs to be taken into consideration.
Some areas including the Glasshouse and edible garden were still closed on the day of our visit due to Government restrictions but this just means that we will have extra places to enjoy next time.
Wynyard Hall Woodland Walk ( and Superworm Trail )
This self-led circular walk around the woodland, Wynyard grounds and by the stream is included with garden admission. It took us around 30-40 minutes to complete and is very well signposted. It is around a 1.8 mile circular route.
As mentioned earlier, there is one set of steps to navigate, a few moderate inclines and some of the paths are not surfaced. I would not say this is a walk that is suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.
We completed the trail with a 5 and 10 year old who aren't the world's best walkers and we only had a small amount of moaning about tired legs as we climbed the hill at the end. There were younger children taking part and as there are plenty of places to stop and seating throughout, I would say it would be ok for children aged 3+, even maybe younger if you leave some extra time. Be mindful that the walk takes you past a stream and there are no barriers.
We completed the trail with a 5 and 10 year old who aren't the world's best walkers and we only had a small amount of moaning about tired legs as we climbed the hill at the end. There were younger children taking part and as there are plenty of places to stop and seating throughout, I would say it would be ok for children aged 3+, even maybe younger if you leave some extra time. Be mindful that the walk takes you past a stream and there are no barriers.
Each board is easy to find and comes with it's own mini activity too which will keep little ones interested.
There is no prize for completing the trail, but we were satisfied to discover the secret word and I treated the kids to something nice from the farm shop as their reward.
I have noticed a few complaints saying that Wynyard Hall Gardens are not worth the entrance fee. If I was only going to visit this one time, I would be inclined to agree if you base your experience on a one-time visit when the flowers are not in bloom. But I know that early spring is a time when most garden flowers and plants are only just starting to bloom / show signs of growth so I completely understand that this is not the best time to visit but I still wanted to enjoy a stroll.
I do think we received good value from our annual pass as we were able to enjoy a beautiful setting for lunch, a peaceful stroll around the walled gardens and then the Superworm trail too. Plus we get to revisit free of charge across the next 12 months and I am already looking forward to seeing the gardens in summer. I cannot wait to see the roses. Parking is free so there is no charge at all to revisit.
If you can only visit the gardens once this year, I would definitely wait until summer when the roses are in bloom as there will be more to enjoy then. If you bring a picnic and visit the cafe to break your visit up, you could easily fill a whole afternoon enjoying the gardens and the woodland walk. We spent around 2 hours there on the day of our visit.
If you enjoyed the Superworm Trail, make sure you try the Gruffalo Spotters Trail at Kielder and the Gruffalo Trail at Hamsterley Forest too.
What to do nearby
- When Wynyard Hall fully reopens, it is a lovely place to stay or enjoy a bite to eat. We enjoyed a glorious festive afternoon tea with kids here a few years ago.
- Wynyard Woodland Park is just a few miles away and is home to a fantastic adventure playground for kids.
- Hardwick Park is less than 10 miles away, it is a lovely place for a walk and you can try the Augmented Reality Dinosaur Trail. Hardwick Hall overlooks the park and is home to County Durham's largest beer garden with street food vans and fairground rides.
- Tees Barrage is less than miles away - we highly recommend the Air Trail here.
- RSPB Saltholme is a 20 minute drive away and lovely for a walk, bird spotting and a play in the park
- If you fancy fish and chips at the seaside afterwards, Seaton Carew is less than 30 minutes away in the car (we recommend The Almighty Cod)
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Please follow social distancing rules & Government guidelines , respect the local area, leave no trace, take litter home, park responsibly and if somewhere is busy on arrival, please consider leaving and returning at a later date.
Remember face coverings are required for indoor attractions / shops for those aged 11+ (usual exemptions apply)
Check for local lockdowns / travel restrictions before visiting anywhere.
Always check updated opening hours / protocols with venues direct before setting off as things may have changed after this post was published.
Remember face coverings are required for indoor attractions / shops for those aged 11+ (usual exemptions apply)
Check for local lockdowns / travel restrictions before visiting anywhere.
Always check updated opening hours / protocols with venues direct before setting off as things may have changed after this post was published.
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