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Goodnestone Park

The Manor House

12 Bedroom / 24 Guests Book now

Goodnestone Park

Bonnington Cottage

2 Bedrooms / 4 Guests Book now

The Woodland Garden

A haven for nature lovers

The semi-natural woodland garden at Goodnestone Park is a haven for nature lovers. It makes the ideal location for a wellness retreat as it provides a pleasant contrast to the more formal areas of the garden.

Paths weave in almost random directions through mature oak and sweet chestnut woodland and sometimes lead to grass clearings. The underlying Greensand geology is perfect for many acid-loving shrubs. Witch hazels, azaleas, crinodendron, Pieris, and rhododendron all grow in various places in the garden.

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Down woodland paths

Visitors following the narrow paths can seek out the pond and large rockery almost hidden within the woods. There are many delights to be found between the large moss-covered rocks where acers, ferns, and hostas grow in abundance.

The Woodland Garden is also home to many interesting trees. One such tree is the Stewartia pseudocamellia, with its jigsaw-like bark and beautiful white flowers. Visitors can also look out for the large specimen of Nothofagus fusca, a Southern Beech endemic to the forests of New Zealand.

Beautiful and peaceful

We have fallen in love with Goodnestone and it’s a fantastic place to enjoy a slow and enjoyable walk surrounded by nature at its best – Trip Advisor February 2021

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A colourful spectacle

Flowering starts early in the woodland garden and provides a colourful spectacle. The yellow winter aconites appear in January, followed in quick succession by carpets of snowdrops, bluebells, and wild garlic. These are interspersed with hellebores, dog-toothed violets and the occasional Trillium. Visitors in late winter and early spring will notice a very prevalent scent with the flowering of Daphnes, Mahonias and Christmas Box.

Many flowering dogwoods are covered in their distinctive white blooms in mid-summer, followed by a strange strawberry-like fruit. Later still, large areas of hydrangeas provide stunning displays with their azure blue flowers, a consequence of the acid soil.

 

The gardens

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