Picton Castle and Gardens
I have been wanting to visit Picton Castle and Gardens ever since I found out that we can get in for free with our National Botanic Garden of Wales annual pass, but at about an hour's drive away from Swansea we hadn't quite made it there yet. So this Easter holiday I was determined to do just that, and we made the most of a sunny Saturday, packed a picnic and headed out for an adventure.
This boardwalk goes right through the trees and the kids loved exploring and following the trail.
We found out on arrival that our botanic garden passes only get us into the grounds, and we would have to pay extra to go inside the secret owl garden or see inside the castle. You can only go around the castle on a guided tour, and given that it is technically more of a fancy stately home, we decided it would be best for all involved (and our wallets) if we gave it a miss. We have found that loud, and boisterous children don't mix well with guided tours of posh houses!
Despite not going in the castle, we still loved our time in the gardens. The grounds are huge and there is so much to see and do. There's a boardwalk that takes you through the trees and leads you to a great adventure playground. There's a maze, which our 3 children all loved getting "lost" in. There's a stunning walled garden, and a very cute area of woodland with fairy doors hidden amongst the trees. The children loved trying to find them all.
Enjoying exploring the boardwalk.
In the Walled Garden
Fairy doors hidden in the woods.
The boardwalk through the "jungle."
In the Walled Garden
Beautiful Blossom.
We definitely chose the perfect day to explore as it was lovely and sunny and there were signs of spring everywhere. Always a welcome sight, especially after such a long winter. It did make me want to go back there again in May or June time though, as I can only imagine how stunning it looks when in full bloom.
The Fernery inside the walled garden.
Picnic in the sunshine.
We enjoyed our lovely picnic out in the sunshine, but there is a restaurant and a smaller cafe in the grounds, as well as a lovely gift shop. So you've got plenty of options if you are there for the day.
We didn't venture into the secret owl garden, but we could see as we walked by that there are lots of beautiful owls to be seen and you can even hold them too.
Anyone who knows me will know that my camera and I were in our element exploring the stunning gardens and woodlands. We explored fairly extensively but I don't think we managed to see everything. All the more reason to go back another time!
Beuatiful tree lined pathways.
Have you been to Picton Castle and Gardens? I'd love to hear how you got on if you have?
If you find yourself in Pembrokeshire on a dry day, I would definitely recommend you check it out, we will definitely be going back.
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