Bodenham Arboretum in Wyre Forest

Bodenham Arboretum can be a pleasant outing on a sunny day, offering a peaceful escape and scenic walking paths. However, it seems the experience can be affected by weather conditions, as some visitors have found it muddy and perhaps lacking in activities beyond the nature walks. With limited attractions, the £8 entry fee may feel steep for some, though it likely supports the upkeep of the grounds. The restaurant at the arboretum appears to be a nice addition, providing a comfortable spot to relax with a hot drink or meal. Overall, Bodenham Arboretum could be an enjoyable place for those seeking a quiet day outdoors, but the experience may vary depending on expectations and the weather.

Visited with two friends and our children for the pumpkin walk. I think for over £40, it was a little overpriced. Many of the pumpkins had started to collapse, but I could have looked past that if we hadn't encountered the awfully rude owner (male) who berated me and my friend for not having stickers. Funnily enough, he drove straight passed our husbands to have a go at the ladies holding the children. We offered to show our tickets to him but he didn't want to know. When we arrived we queued 20 minutes for some drinks (which were £4 each for what tasted like sachet coffees but that's a seperate issue.) Nowhere was there any signs telling you where to show your tickets. We later found out it was the coffee shop where we had stood and queued for 20 minutes. We entered the arboretum through the gate to the side of the coffee shop, so also missed the photo that the male told us about in such a condescending manner. I wouldn't mind if we had tried to "sneak in" but who speaks to paying customers like that? Looking at previous reviews on TripAdvisor, it seems I'm not the only one who won't be returning thanks to this "lovely" man. If stickers or lack of stickers are such an issue, why not have a member of staff stationed at the entrance to the arboretum to check tickets, as happens in every other ticketed venue? More time was invested in ranting about stickers than it would have taken simply to check our tickets, which also had no mention on them of where and how to obtain a sticker. We were also asked by a lady who was much more reasonable and polite, whilst also requesting next time we obtain a sticker. Unfortunately there will be no next time, that's the last of my money I'll be spending here.

Beautiful place for all ages. Lovely cafe. A wonderful day out

Beautiful place to visit. The autumnal colours are glorious, especially the acers around the lake opposite the cafe and trees in the grand avenue. We went with two young kids and they loved seeing the animals on the farm (pigs, cows, donkeys) and pond, and running around the paths. There is no playground but still plenty for kids to enjoy. It’s muddy and not always paved so wear wellies or walking boots. Pram is suitable for some paths but wouldn’t recommend taking one. Cafe is served by friendly staff and has great selection of homemade cakes and offers a carvery multiple times a week. You can free return entry during the low season (Jan/ Feb)

Lovely place love taking my grand children to feed the ducks and massive fish , cannot justify paying £4.50 for a small cup of hot chocolate . ( cup of milk chocolate on a stick) squirt of fresh cream an ran out of marsh mellows . Will be taking a flask next time

My wife and I took my daughter to view the pumpkin walk, it was a lovely autumn walk and our daughter absolutely loved it. It's a beautiful area and as it was autumn the colours on all the trees were amazing. Prices in a brew and a slice of cake were also reasonably priced.

Lovely family place, they always make an effort to have events on and trails etc, great place.

Enjoyable day out with 3 generations. We were able to see the lovely Fall colours in sunshine possibly a week past their peak. Slightly muddy in places would recommend hiking boots or wellies.

Lovely grounds and nice food and staff

A truly beautiful place to visit and enjoy...

A beautiful arboretum. Not too far from London if you leave at a decent time. An amazing selection of autumnal trees and beautiful water spots to capture great reflections. There are lots of family friendly ducks which are a great addition for children. Largely natural walking paths so come with proper walking shoes. The cafe is also decent. We got a bacon sandwich and the bread was incredible. All in all a fantastic arboretum to visit. I think there’s a nearby flight school because there was constantly an aeroplane doing circuits in the area. Might be a bit noisy or not the best for drone users.

Excellent restaurant, superb afternoon tea. Lovely walk around the arboretum 👍

Delightful venue, catering excellent. Looking forward to the Christmas Fair on Nov 30th and Dec 1st 2024.

It cost £8 per adult to enter and there are many beautiful walks to follow around this Arboretum. The autumn colours are super and so many wonderful trees to enjoy. There are paths, but some bits are muddy so boots are advisable when it's wet or been raining. The restaurant was very good offering a really delicious carvery (£16-18 per person) with 4 choices of meat ( and vege option) and lovely vegetables, gravy and sauces. Will definitely go back!

Went did a car show there but weather was not the best but a very nice place very clean and tidy

Nice place to visit, very picturesque

Stopped here for coffee and plant sale. Beautiful lake to view while having coffee. Plant sale was excellent.

Fantastic place! I have been several times for walks around the lake and eating carvery dinners, then recently I had my wedding reception there. They did an amazing job decorating the main hall and Lakeside rooms. The food is lovely, everything from carveries, desserts, etc. Again, fantastic place.

Great walks in nice weather nice cafe

We often came here over last seven years but this time was a disappointment the beef we were unable to cut or eat as it eas turf plus unable to chew it.with the new cost of £19.00 per meal . We wont be coming back.

Fantastic park, with plenty of kids activities. Beautiful for relaxing walk.

A Cracking day out, Good food, Friendly staff.

Beautiful place!! My friend and I decided to order lunch. Unfortunately, it was not up to a high standard. The turkey roll was dry and I had to take the food back because I couldn’t find the gravy and stuffing that was supposed to be on the baguette. The person I spoke to opened up my baguette with his fingers and pointed to the smallest amount of stuffing and gravy I’d ever seen. I would not recommend the food.

Really lovley place to spend the day after walking round the arboretum you can sit by the lake and have lunch . We've come on several occasions and enjoyed lovley meals and snacks and will continue to do so .

Lovely visit here for a group with kids. Easy access and parking. Quick service to get tickets for entry. Quick service to also get a coffee and sausage roll for our walk around. Well maintained grounds and it was great for the kids. Would definitely come back again but I won’t leave it too late in the day as it’s clearly a popular place so the car park fills up!

Lovely place to visit any time of the year. There are events going on all the time especially through the school holidays. Great for all the family young and old. Staff are very friendly at the cafe/restaurant and entry to the arboretum.

Just had lunch at bodenham arboretum. Wonderful food,service and gift ideas. Beautiful place to walk and explore.

Had lunch at the cafe. Our baguette's were very nice. Extremley dissapointed with the lunch box meal. The jam sandwich was not freshly made. It tasted stale, and must have been made days prior. The jam was very cheap, and just a blob in the middle. It was replaced with out any trouble, but will not be returning.

Had a great time at the bat walk

Fantastic place!! Beautiful gardens and woodland walks and an exceptional restaurant and coffee shop. If you just want to go for coffee and cake there is no entry charge and parking is free. You only pay to walk the gardens and Arboretum which worth the entrance fee. There are many lakes and pools to see and a wealth of birds too. Just a great place to visit.

Myself and partner were informed of this place and how lovley it was ,we'll we were blown away by its beauty and its charm. A great place to visit and wander around at your leasure and when you've walked and walked your legs off you can sir and relax by the lake with a coffee and piece of cake and take in the view ....just lovley.

Beautiful place with very good food. Can obviously get very busy at times by the size of the car park. Good place to visit for the family or for people with mobility issues.

There at the weekend garden is spectacular the ponds have a lot of carp cafe food and drinks realy good will be going back again .

There was a Viking event this weekend which was cool. Then we had tea and cake sat by the lake and big fish were popping their heads out of the water. Really good place

A very pleasant and picturesque setting amid many acres of woodland and fields, with many walks to explore the lakes, pools and a working farm. This has some lively and entertaining pigs which are well worth seeing, in addition to the usual animals of interest, including some very tame donkeys which you can interact with in a gated field. There is a lakeside restaurant with a terrace overlooking the picturesque lake which is a big attraction here, as you can visit it for free, if you don't want to pay to enter the Arboretum. There are toilet facilities inside the restaurant, and parking is free on an adjacent gravel car park. Access and entry for wheelchairs is available, but be aware that the gravel on the car park and around the restaurant terrace area and leading down to the Arboretum entrance make it a little challenging in places (as mentioned on the website).

Visited for the park up for Parkinsons event - what a jewel of a place. Scenery was amazing, gorgeous eatery. A really nice family place to visit.

Lovely location but the food options are extremely limited and overpriced for the portion sizes. Probably better to go on the carvery days.

A beautiful afternoon relaxing by the top pool. We had a small carvery lunch from farm reared meat and some lovely ice cream to follow. Not really suitable for wheelchair access beyond the main buildings but definitely worth a visit anyway.

Nice place. Clean, comfortable, in a great location. Hosts super helpful and responsive. Amazing.

Superb Arboretum easy to walk round & the cafe food was great & well organised concidering how busy they were.

Absolutely gorgeous arboretum with lovely shady walks and ponds. Also lots of different events taking place. Well worth a visit

Beautiful Beautiful place, lovely atmosphere, Amazing flowers and plants, beautiful pools and coffee was tasty. Very friendly staff and people. Want to go again

What a great day out we had! Even on a wet day we had a great time, we were met by a very warm welcome and provided details of the best walk to do based on the weather and our dogs capability. After a walk which took in many different animals to see we returned to the visitor centre. Here we were again met with great service, the coffee and cakes were great. Would highly recommend.

Lovely experience here for afternoon tea with colleagues. Smooth services and lovely food. Thank you!

Well what a Ancomplete balls up on Saturday's Plant hunter's fair was, the parking was awful we got there bang on 10.00 and just about got in,we left at around 10.30 ish took us around 30 minutes to got out, totally shocking, and then nearly £4 for a small Latte, talk about rip off ,I won't even tell you how much a sandwich was, The grounds of the Arboretum were fabulous, the lakes were spectacular, but those prices are a joke, I think I'll stick with Middleton Hall with the plant hunter's fair from now on,And not even a reply from the organisation of this place

Worst experience ever! DO NOT GO if you have a dog and wish to eat as its not dog friendly at all. Rude staff and food less than average after being sat in a freezing cold hut.

Stunning picturesque will have to come back in the autumn 🍂 right on our doorstep who knew 😀

2024 April Plant Fair. It was very busy trying to park. But they had staff helping cars to park. Quite steep downhill from the parking to the plant fair. However, they do have disabled parking. I felt the range of stalls was better in previous years. However, it's still good. Prices have definitely gone up, but then so has the cost of living. The cafe was well manned. Really appreciate that they are dog friendly. Unfortunately, the arboretum was very muddy in most places. Personally more worth it in summer. During the pandemic. Beautiful woods, great plant fair in the summer months. Only snag, the cafe was swamped with people. And they weren't sticking to the social distancing guidelines at all. The cafe should have spaced the seating around.

Our grandson was booked on an Easter Baking Experience, as he enjoys making cakes. The weather was showery and heavy at times. We seemed to drive a long way before we arrived at the carpark, which was not busy. There are miles of paths, with hundreds of plants and thousands of trees to see. May I suggest looking at their website before you travel, to see what's on offer, whether flaura or activities. We stopped off at the newish cafe, which offers a great view over the pond. There is also a large picnic area beside the pond, with the resident ducks "calling by" for a little something 😀 The cafe is circular and caters for all tastes and allergies. At the appropriate time, our daughter and grandson walked over to the baking room, where everything had been prepared earlier. There were around a dozen children taking part, decorating fairy cakes and chocolate bird nests, as well as Easter Eggs. The session lasted two hours and they all enjoyed the experience. The staff were friendly and helpful and assisted the children if they needed it. They all looked "professional", with their chefs hats and aprons. A wonderful experience. Meanwhile, my wife and I walked around the pond, taking note of the wildlife and avoiding the muddy paths. There was plenty of that, considering how wet Easter has been this year. We regrouped after the baking experience, and went for a walk along the Easter Egg trail, though we missed out a few eggs. We arrived at the farm, with newly born calves and piglets to see close up in the barns. We eventually found the Golden Egg and continued our walk back to the car. We got very wet on our walks, but as life would have it, the sun appeared as we were leaving. Bodenham Arboretum is a wonderful place to visit, especially with children, whether on small bikes or in pushchairs and the family dog needs to be on a lead. On arrival, we received a free return ticket during the "low" season, so we will be making use of that and hoping the muddy paths have dried.

Coffee is an overpriced rip off. Bye ice-cream instead.

Lovely Easter trail for grandchildren and walk round the Arboretum . Lovely staff especially in cafe where we finished off with wonderful bacon and sausage sandwiches and great coffee . Definitely a return visit soon !

We visited Bodenham Arboretum for a walk and cream tea on a bank holiday. While the centre of the park was as busy as you'd expect, we enjoyed a quieter wander along the boundary walk and back through the main avenue. The farm is full of baby animals at this time of year, and the cream teas were delicious.

I love this arboretum. It’s a stunning place to explore and the five pool walk is a lovely place to stretch the legs. There’s a working farm yard to visit about half way round which keeps my son happy and we also enjoy feeding the fish at the main lake. They host some fab seasonal events too which are worth keeping an eye out for

A hidden gem, lovely site, not too big so no moaning from the kids, Easter trail was good and food from the cafe was excellent.

Lovely food. High quality carvery

Went there for some breakfast and a sit outside, young man who served us was very helpful and friendly

Beautiful as always. Lovely walks and great food. Added bonus this year with the talk and tour by James and Ben. So interesting and brilliant to see new lambs calves piglets and of course the young donkey. Love this place.

Bodenham is one of our go-to places for a family walk, with regular trails to keep the children interested, although the cafe can get very busy!

Tree people trail for half term. Always a delightful place to visit. Warm and cosy cafe with good choice of food for afterwards.

Lovely place..food bit overpriced

Lovely venue, really quite muddy after wet weather - great for the kids that are dressed properly, Lovely food, friendly animals, large pool with ducks, geese and large fish.

As an arboretum. It's very poor. But it's a nice place to visit with family and have lunch with meats produced from the farm. If you don't judge it as an arboretum its a garden walk with animals and a few trees. As an arboretum the trees are planted haphazardly, too close together, without labels and without much plan at all.

Beautiful place to going and you get a free return visit with your ticket. I had a Hot chocolate, which I thought would be very special as it was £3.60 all I got was a small plastic cup with warm milk and a chocolate bar on a stick. I had to wait ages for the chocolate to melt then unfortunately the hot chocolate was cold, so not worth £3.60. On a positive note, it really is a nice place to go, I would definitely recommend it.

Lovely setting and walks, good bacon sarnies. The figures in the Nativity trail are looking dilapidated, need some tlc.

Booked the Christmas afternoon tea. Sat in a private room. Really good service. The food was superb. Beautifully prepared sandwiches, scones and cakes. Served with unlimited tea or coffee and mulled wine. Everything with a Christmas twist. Really enjoyable and value for money.

Doesn't offer much at this time of year.

We visit here every year usually for the Pumpkin Trail and the Nativity Trail. A great place to take kids and let them roam freely. I lovely walk not too long and can take a pram quite easily as long as it’s not too muddy. Food is great too!! Recommend to book online which is easy! Lots of lovely memories made here ♥️

Beautiful surroundings and lovely Nativity trail done for the children. Gorgeous Christmas lunch where my only complaint was that the food wasn't very hot. Staff are friendly and polite. I'd definitely return and recommend to others. Wear appropriate footwear, the trails are very muddy at the moment.

Had christmas lunch there.Excellent carvery and friendlyhelpful staff.

I have posted photos of previous visits to Bodenham Arboretum and this visit was no less delightful. The woodland is beautiful with bluebells on the brink of opening. The pathways are very well trod. A good mix of pleasures.

Visited for a wander around and lunch. Nice setting and very relaxing for a walk. Lunch in the cafe is somewhat dated but provides a service and nice food and was busy so clearly enjoyed by many. Don't forgot to make sure your sticker is visible 😂

This place is worth a visit. The Arboretum itself is a labour of love from the family owners. The trees have been carefully planted in the right places years ago. You can now see the fruit of their labours This visit was during the run up to Christmas. There is currently a route around the Arboretum telling the story of Christmas. Really well done. The restaurant is another highlight. The food is amazing and good value. Make sure you book ahead, especially if you are a big group.

Lovely place, the only downside is that some signs are torn or barely visible. It would also be nice if the centre used something more permanent than stickers as a pass, as they tend to fall off randomly.

Stunning autumn walk. Will be coming back (if open) for a yearly pass. Edit: had a yearly pass last year and it's excellent value. This year we've just been once or twice. The nativity trail was a nice start to the festive season, as was the small craft fair. It is pricey for a single visit though so I really recommend the yearly pass.

One of the most beautiful places you can visit. Autumn is the most magical time to go.

Staff friendly and helpful. Food and service first. And price reasonable.

Nice walks. Beautiful countryside. Good food and drinks.

Visit Bodenham every year in the autumn, it’s so beautiful! My 11 year old son loves Halloween at Bodenham.

Lovely walks in picturesque setting with lakes and farm. Nice cafe on site and lots of activities throughout the year.

Good walks and views. Enjoyed going to the pumpkin trail for Halloween.

Friendly place, enthusiastically run. Some paths quite muddy - ok, it's Autumn, but the paths could be improved. Signage is sadly lacking in the park, making it needlessly difficult to navigate using the map provided.

We have done various walks around Bodenham Arboretum over the years and always enjoy visiting here 😊 the lake is lovely to walk around and has lots of different species of trees and shrubs. There is also a working farm on site and you can get up close to the farm yard animals, which the kids love. If you're looking to spend a couple of hours having a walk around outdoors or some lunch by the lake, I'd recommend popping in 👍

Lovely setting a bit busy but still plenty of room in the indoor cafe. Although the coffee was out of the machine it was very good. Plenty of out of school activities as it was Halloween. There is no entrance charge if you are only using either the outdoor or indoor café but there is a charge to go around the arboretum.

Waste of money pumpkin walk. Rip off

Enjoyed afternoon followed by a pumpkin walk with torch light. Lovely day out.

Great arboretum to visit especialy when the bluebells are out and right now in the autumn. You can take a gentle walk around it never seems to busy.

Went in the autumn so can’t say what it would be like in the summer but colours in the autumn are gorgeous ( if the sun shines ) . There was a Halloween theme for the kids with various pumpkin themed men doing fiendish stuff which was done really well indeed. You definitely need good boots or welly’s and can be very slippery if you wonder off the main paths . It was £ 7.50 for adults which we thought was really good value and only thing that spoiled the day in our opinion was the rip off prices for the food which drops a star on our rating of bodenham arboretum but it’s still worth going for sure and we’d just advise taking your own food and eating it in the car park especially if you’ve got a big family.

Beautiful Arboretum with good activities for the kids. Only minor downside is the hot chocolate, which is a lump of chocolate on a stick served with a cup of hot milk. So you have to wait around and stir it for a long time before you can head off! Tastes good though!

Great place to visit. Extremely friendly and helpful staff. Great restaurant and beautiful walks. Loved it!

I did the pumpkin walk with my family. They loved it. A lo

Lovely lovely place to spend a day out enjoying nature. Lovely cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. The highlight if you have young people with you will definitley be feeding the ducks and fish with their feed available to buy! Will be back over winter for festive events :)

Lovely grounds and their Sunday lunch was utterly fantastic, miles better than when we previously dined there.

Cafe really good, enjoyed whole day

Love the Arboretum. Wonderful and idyllic. Would highly recommend anyone to visit 😊

We came here for a picnic to remember my mother in laws birthday, it was perfect, we loved the little bridge and the fish , will be returning over the winter months, its so beautiful, we loved the Donkeys

We went for Pudding Night and a really good night. 5 cold puddings, 5 Hot Puddings. Cheese n Biscuits. Starters to choose from too.

Very nice, will go there again! 👍

We adore our visits to Boddenham and the staff are always friendly and helpful and the food delicious. Lovely little shopping area with things like Boddenham Honey. A super place to stroll round too. We have an annual pass. Highly recommended.

Lovely place to walk, eat and enjoy the view.

Fabulous food tonight at Pie Night first visit here for this sort of event but will definitely not be the last. Also have to say staff were very friendly which makes a change in a lot of eating places these days. Well done all