RHS Garden Bridgewater

Cost: Ticketed - RHS members free
Ages: 4 to 11
Where: Salford, Greater Manchester
Weather: Mostly outdoors
Booking: Book online for cheaper tickets

The RHS turned a lost Victorian estate into one of Europe's biggest new gardens, and it is far more fun for children than the name suggests: an eleven-acre walled garden, lake paths, long lawns built for running, and family trails through the season.

RHS members go free; everyone else should book online. The cafe queue at lunch is the only reliably unpleasant part - picnic instead.

For families the garden hides its best feature in plain sight: eleven acres of walled garden where children are actively welcomed rather than shushed, plus the lake loop, the treehouse-dotted Chinese streamside and enough open lawn for the picnic to become the afternoon. Under-fives go free, which sets the family maths kindly.

The clever booking move is the calendar: weekday tickets run cheaper than weekends, booking online beats the £18.40 walk-up on any day, and RHS members bring guests on selected days. The cafe queue at noon remains the only genuinely bad idea on site; eat at 11.30 or 1.30 and it is a different place.

What it costs: Online: adults from £13.60 to £17.20 depending on day, £18.40 on the door. Children 5 to 16 £6, under-5s free, RHS members free. Open 10am to 6pm daily.

What’s on at RHS Garden Bridgewater

Spooky plants half term at RHS Garden Bridgewater

RHS Garden Bridgewater, Worsley · Salford

Daily through half term, 24 October to 1 November

An interactive spooky plants trail round the garden: scary-looking species, plants with legendary healing powers and poisonous ones with dark secrets, with rubbings to collect and your own spooky plant to design. It is included in garden admission, which is free for under 5s. Zoolab witch and wizard potion sessions with creepy crawlies on 27 and 28 October are bookable extras, and there are spooky grass heads to make on 25, 30 and 31 October.

Garden admission, under 5s and RHS members freeBook garden tickets online, Zoolab sessions booked separately

Written by us

RHS Glow at Bridgewater

RHS Garden Bridgewater, Worsley · Salford

Selected evenings, 26 November to 30 December, 4.15pm to 9pm (last entry 7.30pm)

Bridgewater's winter light trail, open from 4.15pm to 9pm. Everyone needs a pre-booked ticket, even free under 5s, and the cheap Super Off Peak dates are limited, so book early if price matters. A quieter SEN evening with fewer visitors runs on Tuesday 8 December.

Adults £9.25 to £18.25, children £5.50 to £10.75, under 5s freePre-booked tickets only, under 5s and members included

Written by us

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★★★★★ 4.6 across 5,903 Google reviews.

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From RHS Garden Bridgewater’s own Instagram

Short videos the venue posted itself, newest first. Each one plays from Instagram only when you tap it.

@rhsbridgewater · posted 26 September

Plays from Instagram, which can set its own cookies once it loads. Or watch it on Instagram.

@rhsbridgewater · posted 11 August

Plays from Instagram, which can set its own cookies once it loads. Or watch it on Instagram.

@rhsbridgewater · posted 5 June

Plays from Instagram, which can set its own cookies once it loads. Or watch it on Instagram.

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