Wenthworth Gardens Stainborough

They caused their own downfall with extortionate parking charges.

 

I agree actually. I love taking my kids there but it is too expensive to go regularly

 

I think it was £3 or £4 which might not sound a lot but it puts a lot of people off

 

Although I spend my winters at Oakwell and writing nonsense on here, I spend my summers gardening, so I guess I am just the sort of guy that Wentworth gardens are looking for. Indeed, Mrs Rain and I have planned a holiday this summer looking around many of the more famous gardens of England. In preparation, I recently re-subscribed to the RHS after many years of lapsed membership, because membership offers discounts at a number of those gardens. I noted that both the walled garden beside Wentworth Garden Centre and the Wentworth Gardens at Stainborough form part of their discount offer. I also noted that the offer is almost totally useless because it is on days, or at times that are totally unattractive.

All that is beside the point. I will not be going to Wentworth Gardens because my interests are not catered for there. My current interest is in converting my garden to the Cottage Garden Style, and those are the types of garden that I have planned to visit in the summer. Wentworth is noted for its Rhododendrons and Camellias which tend to flower in March, April and May. I have seen them in the past, and they are magnificent, but they are all over by the time it is warm enough for the average Joe to think about visiting a garden. Even if Joe did think of turning out so early in the year, the plants are far too large to be incorporated into the average garden and they also require an acid soil to thrive. After May, there is just the carpet bedding around the house and the Capability Brown style vistas into the distance, and neither justify the expense of a visit, in my view.

The question is, could the garden broaden its appeal in order to attract visitors over summer and into autumn. Frankly, I am much too busy defending the business plan of Barnsley FC from attackers on the BBS to bother researching a business plan for Wentworth Gardens.

 

No you have to pay per person from what I remember. And pay extra to use the playground, for instance, which the kids would always want to. I used to go when they did discounts and offers online.

The small gardens at the bottom actually flower really late into the season and are great, they plant crazy amounts of dahlias and stuff like that.

I really love the follies and the tree-lined walk up there personally. Great views and a unique and beautiful place to spend the day, of which there are few besides Cannon Hall in Barnsley. fired's right, would be very sad to lose it

 

If we're talking £10000, or even much more the council should really be stepping it. This shouldn't be left to the public to save. It needs a business plan as RR says as it should be one of our most popular attractions

 

£6.95 adult, £3.50 per child plus £3 parking basic cost. Just looked it up. Whereas £8 at YSP for two adults , two kids is comparatively a cheap day out at £2 each. I've been there far more

 

Parking is free

 

Cannon Hall farm and carpark I have always found expensive.

 

No it's not.

 

It absolutely is and. Has been for some time. I am a regular. Visitors. And like fired I got married there.

I do accept that the admission. Charges. Are what a killed it far too expensive. Although the potential of the place is phenomenal

It's going to be big miss.

 

If you are not entering the grounds it costs £3 to use the car park.

 

They have not changed that for a couple of years at least.

 

But you said parking was free..it's not.

And clearly you pay for parking one way or another by the over priced entrance fee.