Hestercombe Gardens Express

4th June

Welcome aboard the Hestercombe Express! Enjoy a relaxing day out with the West Somerset Railway & Hestercombe Gardens, a rail adventure combined with the beauty of the internationally acclaimed Hestercombe Gardens.

Hestercombe Gardens Express runs on the West Somerset Railway on Wednesdays between 30th April and 1st October 2014.

Your journey begins on the West Somerset Railway by joining at any West Somerset Railway Station winding your way along the coast and through gentle Somerset countryside to the pretty village of Bishops Lydeard. Here, you will be met by the special Heritage Bus and travel in comfort the short distance to Hestercombe Gardens.

Hestercombe is a unique combination of three period gardens: the Georgian Landscape, Victorian Terrace and Shrubbery and the Edwardian Formal - all once abandoned and now lovingly restored. With over fifty acres of woodland walks and formal gardens, it offers peace and tranquility, fabulous food in the Stables Restaurant and Coffee Shop with a bright and airy Courtyard. The Visitor Centre comprises the Gardens Shop and Plant Centre and the Lutyens Gallery displaying work by local artists.

Visit the restored 17th century Watermill complex which showcases the historic uses of renewable energy alongside original working mill machinery. The pretty Mill Tea Garden by the Mill Pond is a delightful spot to stop for tea or an ice cream as you walk the gardens.

The vintage bus leaves Hestercombe for the return trip to Bishops Lydeard in time for your steam train journey home.

How to Book:

10.15 from Minehead, picking up at all stations to Bishops Lydeard. Vintage Bus transfer to Hestercombe and admission into Hestercombe Gardens.

Travel on 10.15am from Minehead. Adults: £22.00, Children: £10.50, Family Saver: £57.00

Buy in advance online or by calling 01643 704996. Tickets are also available on the day from Minehead Booking Office or the on train ticket inspector (cash only).