30 Photos To Inspire You to Visit Bodnant Garden in Wales

Do you sometimes feel indecisive about whether to visit a place or not? Especially if you have to pay admission fees? For this reason I thought I’d take you on a ‘photo tour’ around Bodnant Garden in North Wales. I’m positive that the following photos will make you want to visit this magical garden immediately. 

Introducing Bodnant Garden

Before the photos, let me quickly introduce you to Bodnant Garden.

This stunning garden is located in the most beautiful setting in Conwy, near Tal-y-Cafn in North Wales. Bodnant Garden was established by Henry Pochin, a scientist, politician and businessman in 1874. The 80-acre garden has been a National Trust property since 1949. 

The garden is filled with exotic plants such as Blue Poppy, Fire Bush, Magnolia, Embothrium and Rhododendron Hybrids collected by explorers. No wonder then that the garden became one of the first to introduce magnolias from China and rhododendron hybrids. At 180-feet, Bodnant Garden is also home to the biggest laburnum archway in the UK. In addition, it also has Wales’ largest collection of UK Champion Trees.

Did you know? – Pochin’s daughter, Laura McLaren, helped a lot in designing the Garden both before and after she inherited it in 1895. However, as it turned out, her passion wasn’t just in designing the garden. Recently discovered boxes of articles and letters have revealed the massive involvement she had in shaping women’s rights over the years. She was actually the founder of the Liberal Women’s Suffrage Union.

However, Laura McLaren wasn’t the only one fighting for women’s rights in the family. Her mother and mother-in-law both campaigned for women’s rights and against slavery. Later, her daughters were also actively involved in the campaigns. 

How much does it cost to enter?

Entry fee to Bodnant Garden is £14 for adults and £7 for children. Further information on tickets can be found on the website.

If you’re a member of the National Trust you can visit this stunning garden free of charge. You can read about the different kinds of membership by clicking here.

30 Photos that will inspire you to visit Bodnant Garden

Whilst some areas – like Bodnant Hall – are private, there are plenty of other areas open for you to explore as you can see below.

East Garden

After entering the garden the first area you will arrive to is the East Garden. Here you can get your first glimpse of Bodnant Hall.

Laburnum Arch

Right next to the East Garden you’ll find possibly the most photographed feature of the garden, the Laburnum Arch. Since I visited the garden in August I totally missed seeing the arch in its full bloom. Make sure you visit the garden in late May / early June and you won’t be disappointed. 

Winter Garden

After exploring the East Garden and the Laburnum Arch, make sure you walk around the Winter Garden which only opened after 2012.

Old Park Meadow

From the Winter Garden walk through the beautiful Old Park Meadow before carrying on towards The Poem. 

The Poem

Make sure you stop at The Poem which is a mausoleum built by Henry Pochin.

Waterfall Bridge

Another iconic feature of Bodnant Garden you must check out is the Waterfall Bridge.

Far End

After a few years of renovation, the Far End opened to the public in 2015. As the name suggests it’s the far end of Bodnant Garden. However, make sure you walk to it as it has a Skating Pond and a cute Boat House. 

Furnace Wood, Meadow and The Dell

Explore the Furnace Wood and Meadow which only opened in 2017. Don’t forget to walk around The Dell too which has a collection of large redwoods.

Lady Aberconway’s Seat

Walk up to Lady Aberconway’s Seat and admire the stunning view from there. 

Old Mill

You’ll eventually reach a beautiful Grade II listed building, The Old Mill. You can find toilet facilities here and it’s also a great picnic or rest spot. 

The Pin Mill and Lily Pond

You’ll reach Bodnant’s most iconic and well-photographed area, The Pin Mill. You’ll have everything you need to take the perfect shot. A beautiful building, a Lily Pond and an absolutely perfect reflection. What more could one ask for?

Terraces

Walk around the beautiful Terraces located just above Pin Mill, offering you countless photo opportunities. 

Lily Terrace

Another perfect photo spot is waiting for you at the Lily Terrace with Bodnant Hall in the background. Also, can we just stop for a moment and appreciate the perfect reflection of Bodnant Hall?

Upper Rose Terrace

After wandering around Pin Mill and the Terraces, head over to the Upper Rose Terrace from where you can get some amazing views of the Hall. 

Front Lawn

You can also get a perfect view of Bodnant Hall from the Front Lawn. 

The Bath

If you’re at the Front Lawn, make sure you don’t miss checking out The Bath. 

Additional things to do

North Wales is absolutely stunning so if you’re in the area then make sure you explore Anglesey or Snowdonia National Park. If you love the outdoors, then check out my blog post about climbing Tryfan, the 15th highest mountain in Britain. 

However, if you’re visiting Wales you need to make sure you don’t forget about the beautiful South Wales either. Visit the Gower Peninsula or Brecon Beacon National Park if you’d like to see some of the most amazing landscapes and waterfalls.

Final Thoughts on Bodnant Garden

I hope you enjoyed this quick ‘Photo Tour’ of the garden. Have you ever been to Bodnant Garden before? If not, make sure you let me know in the comments below whether it landed on your bucket list or not. In case you already have, let me know which part of the garden was your favorite. Mine was definitely the Pin Mill.