This weekend we visited Picton Gardens in Pembrokeshire. It is one of the places where we have a season ticket, and is definitely one of my favourite family days out. At just over an hour away from Swansea though, we don’t get there as often as I’d like. However, I think the fact that there are usually a few months between each of our visits, has meant the kids are still enthusiastic about going there, and we always have the most amazing time when we do go.

One of my favourite paths to photograph.

Our trip this weekend was no exception, and I thought I would share a bit more here about Picton gardens. So often when I tell people we have been there they have never heard of it. So here are just a few things you can see and do at Picton.

The “Jungle” Boardwalk

Our kids usually make a bee line straight for the boardwalk when we arrive. It has recently been repaired, and is now even better than before.

The boardwalk is an amazing raised platform that takes you through the woods and bushes and leads you to the park. It’s quite narrow so you have to go through single file, which I think makes it feel even more exciting for the kids, and there are often branches to climb over, or huge leafs to duck under. It definitely has a jungle feel to it.

The Walled Garden

There is something so serene about the walled garden at Picton. I always feel a bit hesitant to let my noisy children run around in there incase they disturb the peace. On this occasion though I needn’t have worried. As they were admiring the fish in the pond, some other visitors mentioned they thought they heard frogs. Cue my 3 children all being absolutely silent in order to try and hear or see some frogs. I had no idea they could be so quiet!

Whilst we didn’t actually see the frogs, we definitely heard them, and we could even see some lily pads moving up and down, which we’re pretty sure was the frogs hiding underneath. The kids were mesmerised!

Picton Gardens Blog - South Wales Day Out - Our Beautiful Adventure Photography

Tree climbing

Tree climbing might not seem like much of an activity as such, I mean you can do that anywhere there are trees. However, not only does Picton have some amazing trees for climbing, it also has a fabulous boardwalk that wraps around some of their trees for the kids to be able to run around on. It probably doesn’t sound like much but I can always guarantee I’ll get a nice relaxing few minutes to sit still whilst my kids play amongst the trees at Picton.

The Fairy doors trail

When we first visited Picton Gardens a few years ago, there was a wonderful fairy door trail, however by our next visit it was sadly gone. So we were really excited when we discovered that it is now back, and even better than last time. My 6 year old will play it cool if you ask him about it, but at the time he was running so excitedly between each door and loudly declaring he’d found the next one. It was so lovely to see! He even got a bit sad when we had finished the trail and said he wished there were more.

The fairy doors were a definite hit with our family, and even the older two joined in the hunt, and enjoyed finding them all.

The Welsh Owl Garden

If I’m being honest I think the Welsh Owl Garden is the only reason my husband agreed to a day out at Picton this weekend, and if you ask our 3 children, they will all say it was their favourite bit. Not only do they have a wide range of Owls, but there are actually 26 different species of owls and other exotic birds on display.

We didn’t get to see a flying display on this particular visit, although we have in the past, but we did get to see one of the owls up close with one of the staff there, and she spent ages chatting to the kids about owls and dispelling some myths and teaching them some interesting facts. They loved it!

The Park and The Maze

Unfortunately, due to covid regulations, the park and the maze were both closed on this visit. But they are both firm favourites with our children. Since they may well be able to re-open in the near future I thought I would include some details and photos of them here.

Our children always access the park via the aforementioned jungle boardwalk, but you can get to it from the main footpath too. There is a huge treehouse like structure to climb up inside to get to the slide, as well as lots of other fun things for them to play on. There are also some lovely willow structures our kids like to hide out in.

The maze is also a big hit with our kids. It is a decent size, and the hedgerows are nice and tall so you do have a real challenge trying to get to the middle and then finding your way back out. Don’t ask me why, but my kids love mazes, so they really missed it on this visit. Hopefully it will re-open soon though.

The Castle, Shop, Galleries and Restaurant

Despite having visited Picton Gardens several times now, I still haven’t been inside the castle. You have to book onto a tour when you arrive, and given that it is a castle you get guided around, I feel fairly certain my children would just end up breaking something, or not pay attention and declare they were bored, or something else just as embarrassing. One of these days I shall have to go in alone so I can see what it is like. It does look lovely from the outside though!

In the courtyard area by the castle there is also a gift shop, two art galleries, a Spanish restaurant (seriously good food) as well as other takeaway food options, and there is even an escape room called “The Mansion of Mystery.”

Not everywhere is open just yet, but there is food available on a takeaway basis, and the shop and gallery are also open for one household at a time.

The Gardens and Woods

As if that all wasn’t enough to have a fun filled day out, all of these things are set amongst some of the most beautiful gardens and woodlands you’ve ever seen. It seriously makes me feel so calm being surrounded by so much beauty and nature, and watching the kids playing so nicely, using their imaginations, and engaging with the great outdoors, makes my heart happy!

If you haven’t had chance to visit yet, and are in South Wales, then I can not recommend Picton Gardens enough. I’m sure you will have an amazing family adventure there!