Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens

We had been looking forward to visiting Leonardslee since we saw an advert in a local magazine. We were not disappointed. The welcome was really nice and the staff very helpful. The gift shop was unlike most others - no kitsch or useless stuff that you find in most places, thankfully - and nicely laid out. There were plenty of places to walk and, although it was busy, there was a lot of space where we could be on our own. I am not a fan of the cashless society but found the system worked well at the entrance and in the cafe. The food was very good, although I chose the wrong sandwich - anything like a ploughman's sandwich which has tomato in it, but is not made to order, is always likely to make the bread a little soggy in the wrapper. I should have chosen more wisely. One last comment; the scones with jam and cream were brilliant, but the amount of cream given to us was miles too generous! Half as much would have been plenty (I should have realised at the start!). So, why not reduce the amount given to half and, if people want more, let them pay for it. You at Leonardslee will save a little money and the rest of us will not overindulge in the amount of cream intake (however lovely it was!). We, in the UK, are said to be getting bigger and less cream is a tiny step in the right direction. It's a personal thought, but your over-generosity caused a little bit of waste. By the way, I love your sustainability and recycling policy - brilliant!

CloudB

Wine and cheese experience and ‘dolls house' miniature estate at Leonardslee Gardens Took my dad and husband to the cheese and wine tasting experience today as a treat. Booked the time slot online the day before. Fantastic experience. They had a wonderful time and were very well looked after. I took my mum for an excellent ad-hock afternoon tea in the courtyard cafe (not the house version of afternoon tea which is fantastic but much more expensive and has to be booked in advance). Then we spent at least an hour inspecting the incredible ‘dolls house', which is much more than just a dolls house as it is a huge room full of a miniature country house estate as well as miniature shop interiors and houses which is worth a visit just to see on its own. Thoroughly great visit, thank you to all of the staff.

DebbieR

Enjoyed a lovely day in this beautiful garden which has been lovingly restored. If visiting its worth knowing it is very hilly but the map, although a bit difficult to follow, does give routes that avoid the steepest paths. The garden is dog friendly with waste bins dotted around and water bowls at the main areas. Visitors are encouraged to eat in the cafe, which we did, but were not overly impressed with our lunches especially the sandwiches which were a bit soggy. Cakes were lovely. Service was good and staff were friendly and helpful. Overall a great, peaceful day out.

JanetW

Love this place .... so tranquil ! We came here for some afternoon R&R, and wandered around the gardens. We had a look at the wallabies, who seemed to be relaxing this time around, so not much action there. We also went down the hill to the lakes and watched some r/c boating. Lovely. Had tea and scones after a walk back up the hill. The scones were excellent and fresh, but didn't hold together and I had to end up eating all the bits with a teaspoon. Perhaps they could be made with a bit more body to them ? Otherwise, a lovely experience. Recommended.

MacR

We had looked forward to Leonardslee gardens reopening. We were not disappointed. We had visited many times before it was sold off, and loved it. The current owner and her team have achieved a wonderful restoration. Well worth a visit. We saw the ending of the azaleas and rhododendrons still so pretty. I had forgotten how steep some of the paths were. I am 10 years older!! Now the Gardens can only get better. A wonderful tree collection saved for the nation. And the cafe areas were good and we enjoyed revisiting the dolls house exhibition too.

JenniferJ

We went for the afternoon tea at the house but the gardens were beautiful. The afternoon tea was delicious and it's nice that you have a choice between menus. The cakes were beautifully made and absolutely amazing. They give you a box with a small slice of cake in once you have finished so if you can't eat any of the cakes then you can just sneak them into the box! You don't have to dress up really nicely as it isn't too fancy. The waiting times are very short and the staff are lovely.

SusieC

This is a special place, a beautiful walk through spectacular woodlands down to Crystal clear lakes with so many different colours of green trees and brushes. The dolls houses are very interesting. A very good cafe l had the best brie and bacon toasted sandwich ever.

JoyceW

Great Day Out We spent five lovely hours at these well restored gardens, using the map provided to make sure we didn't miss anything. We had a few refreshment breaks too in the well stocked Clocktower cafe. We would highly recommend a visit here.

Curiosity2

Very nice wooded gardens and lakes. Cafe had vegan and gluten free options. The dolls house exhibition was better than I expected as it wasn't classic dolls houses, rather miniature houses set in the Victorian age.

DuncanC