After 140 years things are changing at Bodnant. Bodnant is one of the most beautiful gardens in Britain, situated above the River Conwy with views across the valley to the Snowdonia mountain range. There are distinctly different elements of the garden which all add to its appeal. The upper garden around Bodnant Hall consists of terraced gardens and informal lawns shaded by trees. The lower garden, known as the dell, contains the wild garden. The area open to the public has recently been extended to include the newly-restored Far End and now they have had a rethink about their policy on dogs.

Bodnant is a world famous garden noted for its plants grown from seeds and cuttings collected from all over the globe and created by five generations of one family. The paths throughout Bodnant allow visitors to explore the lakes, intimate corners, hidden ponds, steep wooded valleys and continually changing displays of glorious colour.

The ‘Far End’ of Bodnant Gardens has recently been opened to the public for the first time in 140 years. The gardens were originally laid out by Henry Pochin from 1874 onwards with ‘Far End’ as a wild garden. After five years’ hard work this amazing area has now been restored. It contains a small lake known as the skating pond with its own island and boathouse.

There has been another major change at Bodnant recently. The 80-acre Bodnant Garden in the Conwy Valley has been open to the public since the thirties and in the hands of the National Trust since 1949. Throughout all that time dogs have been banned but in 2013 the restrictions were relaxed when it was realised that no one could remember why they were introduced in the first place. Now dogs and their owners should be able to enjoy the enlarged acreage to the full.

Details of opening times, what’s in bloom, special events and other information can be found at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-garden. Bodnant is just one of the wonderful places to visit in North Wales. In fact, there are so many attractions such as the magnificent golden beaches of Anglesey, the stunning Anglesey Coastal Path, the monumental mountains of Snowdonia, the World Heritage castles at Beaumaris and Caernarfon, the high-adrenaline Zip rides and the superb regional cuisine, that it makes sense to enjoy a short break or a longer holiday in a luxurious self catering cottage. Go to our website at www.coastalholidays.net  to book online or email us at info@coastalholidays.net . For personal service ring us on 01248 430190 and we will be glad to help.