Goddards in York

From the warm welcome to the ever changing garden displays, food and drink on the terrace, and games in the summer, this is a great space to while away an hour or two.

Such a beautiful place and such lovely staff 😁 happy to deliever here

1st visit today (01/10/2023). Currently, only the garden is open to the public and only at the weekends now until the end of October, when the property closes until March 2024. Nevertheless, it is well worth the visit. Accessible with plenty to explore or just sit and absorb the tranquility. Because of the mild weather the autumn colours weren't evident yet, so a later visit may be advisable. Certainly a garden to visit throughout the year (opening times permitting).

Had a lovely walk around the gardens, but shame house is not to public. Apparently, due to staffing problems and the cost of repairs, I think there are some bad management problems within the national trust where money is being wasted with several staff still working from home when what is needed is staff on site to assist and help and advice and maintain these properties same with any business money wasted on those doing the least shame on you National Trust !!

Small grounds compared to other N.T. places. No parking at venue.

Really lovely gardens to enjoy a picnic 🧺

Finished off our national trust weekend tour with a visit to Goddards gardens. A beautiful sunny afternoon spent in the quiet gardens. The little woodland walk was serene in the afternoon heat, finished off with ice creams. Compliments to the kitchen staff, our toasties were the best ever, we sat in the picnic area with the Terry's chocolate factory tower in the distance. A quiet oasis away from the bustle of daily life.

What a lovely quiet corner of York well worth a visit, why has it taken us so long.

A little place to have a look round. Lovely gardens. Staff were so friendly and willing to chat. Thank you.

Lovely garden to walk around. There is also a small coffee takeaway place where they'll give you tea or coffee on a tray to take and sit with on the chairs and tables or anywhere else in the gardens!

Boring, in and out within 25 minutes

Beautiful gardens, very helpful,friendly staff. We got information on various plants, flowers, took photos, and attended the very interesting talk on the house/family.

Surprisingly large gardens considering the location on a main road going into York. Absolutely beautiful gardens with an amazing amount of wildlife to discover.

Oh I'm so sad about the tea rooms here..we went a couple of years ago and could sit in the tea room or outside. Now, since COVID, it's a sandwich and scone option from a small "room" (cupboard) and no table service and sandwiches from cardboard wrappers. Such a shame as it was a great place to go for afternoon tea whilst enjoying the gardens. 😩 We won't return.

Lovley garden. Shame about the house being closed but hopefully will open next year. Friendly staff.

Very boring dull garden for July, could do with some bright bushes and lovely flowers in bloom. Only just managed an hour here!

Absolutely gorgeous gardens, perfectly kept & full of interest. How lovely it would be if you could visit the house too.

Lovely gardens and terrace for a cup of tea. No plans of the gardens though which would be very helpful so we could plan our visit.

Amazing garden. Doesn't feel like it's next to one of the main routes into york at all

Lovely gardens but needs to open the house. So many visitors were disappointed.

It is a beautiful property near the city centre of York. The volunteers were friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The gardens are a beautiful space spread out over 4 acres, and are a peaceful space to walk around. For horticulture enthusiasts, this property is a definite must visit location. Sadly the house house hasn’t opened since covid, I would hope it were to reopen as soon as possible.

We looked at the website and it said open today Friday 26th it was shut when we arrived we checked earlier in the week we should have checked again most disappointed as we were on the way home and wont have the chance to visit again for some time .There was no sign on the road to mark where the house was very badly marked to find it .

Really nice walk around the gardens - and they are lovely gardens!

The most lovely gardens and a gorgeous setting, well worth a visit for a couple of hours.

Delightful gardens. Beautiful "arts & crafts" house which is, sadly, not currently open to the public

Nice little walk around the gardens 😄, it would of been nice if the names were on some of the flowers 🌺🌹

Nice grounds, but no chance of viewing the interior THIS YEAR!! come on national trust get your finger out, such a shame.

Although it’s not yet the peak blossom season, the garden is already displaying its beauty. I can only imagine how spectacular it will be in another month’s time.

This is one of Yorks hidden gems. A national trust property in the city. The gardens are fantastic such a lovely place to visit. It is a must see!

About 5 acres of lovely gardens. I'm looking forward to returning to see the changes. At this time of year you can see the basic structures and gardening. Lots to look forward to.

Lovely gardens and friendly staff. The refreshments were a bit underwhelming though, no chocolate orange themed items as far as I could tell.

Lovely gardens will be even better when the flowers start blooming

Visited these hidden gardens on the last day of the season. Closed now till the Spring. Worth a visit when it's open again

Difficult to park if there is anything going on in the area. But it is worth a visit if you can. Dog friendly. Nice food in café.

This is a little diamond of a place tucked away on Tadcaster Road in york. The gardens are on the scale of Beningbrough but are kept lovely and there's a lovely little area to have refreshments and a peaceful sit with friends family.. there's free equipment for croquet and tennis if you wanted to.. unfortunately it closes in the winter from the 31st Oct to re open in the spring.. this is a hidden gem.

There is no parking space even we were looking for a car park around it and nothing

Ok for a quick visit. Hard to see entrance along the road, probably need better signage. Pleasant gardens for a nice tea and cake.

Beautiful garden with views across to York Racecourse. Good picnic areas and lots of different areas to explore. Very friendly and welcoming staff and volunteers.

Rather disappointing. The house was closed, and will be for the foreseeable future apparently. Garden was good though..

Beautiful garden, path easy to follow and to walk on. Suitable for people with mobility problems. Nice terrace to sit at whilst eating and drinking items from the tea room which sells light bites, hot and cold drinks. The lady at reception was very welcoming and knowledgeable about the Terry family who were the only family to live in the house which was built in the 1920’s and was given to the National Trust on the deaths of Mr & Mrs Terry as their offspring did not want to take on the responsibility of this beautiful house. The gentleman at the gate house was a bit stern and not very welcoming. Unfortunately there is only one toilet for everyone. For some reason there were day glow orange construction fence barriers closing off steps and other odd places, stood out like sore thumbs and took away some lovely photo opportunities. I would have thought the National Trust would have found a more ‘in keeping’ way to block things off. Definitely worth a visit. Too small for a full day, would say give it 2-3 hours.

A wonderful experience, lovely house and beautiful gardens, staff very friendly and informative.

Peaceful and beautiful gardens.

Beautiful garden lovely in the light rain. Shame house wasn't open due to lack of volunteers.

Lovely friendly staff (and/or volunteers?), beautiful well kept gardens with a variety of different sections. Very peaceful. Admittance is £6 but if this is your sort of thing then I'd say it's worth it! Shame the inside of the house isn't open for viewing atm but the gardens are great on their own

Lovely place, tranquil gardens. Hopefully the house will be back open soon, so we can enjoy that also. As closed due to National trust staffing shortages.

Lovely gardens, ran out of cake

An absolute gem of a find, this property should be much better known. Sadly, they have not been able to re-open the house post-covid; a real shame as, from the outside it looks to be a beautiful Arts and Crafts building. However, the gardens are stunning. There is a series of "rooms", spread over four acres and becoming less formal the further away from the house you go. The scent garden and the orchard were the highlights for me, but it was all beautiful. Surprisingly quiet, considering it's just off the main road. As always with NT properties, the volunteers were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Well worth a visit.

Nice place small cafe outlet have to drink outside no where inside to sit not very colourful dosnt take long to.walk around it quite a few benches to sit on

A hidden gem. Lovely house, friendly staff and wonderful volunteers. Worth visiting.

No parking, cafe very limited at the moment. Gardens were lovely and worth the visit. House shut.

Was a shame the house not open to viewing 😒 The gardens are beautiful.

The house is not open due to pandamic, but the garden is beautiful. Only disable car park on site, but there are nearby off road parking for free. Very friendly staff.

A lovely National Trust property a stone throw from York city centre - but you won't realise it. Its gardens are a beautiful, peaceful haven full of paths to explore and lovely views of York race course

Called in to one of my fav small national trust places today. I was disappointed, first off car park out of use, needed to find a space on the street. Couldn't see why it was out of use, we were told by volunteers at the gate it was. House not open and restaurant facilities are now a takeaway. What a shame however having got over my disappointed the gardens were at their best and I told the volunteers what a great job they were doing. And the Reason for all this disappointed 'covid'. Please support this little gem by going it would be a crying shame for the trust to lose it.

Good place, nice and tidy, good for a walk..

Little oasis of calm, gardens beginning to 'wake up', wheelchair paths round garden. Previously I've had tasty afternoon tea in tea room(check opening times). Lots of different areas of interest in a smallish space, good parking, welcome from friendly helpers.

Great story of the Terry family and loved the garden, shame the house is still not open to the public yet.

Lovey garden and take away cakes. Shame the house isn't open.

Love this place. The gardens are lovely. For a small place there's lots of character & when the house is open it's interesting to read the history of the family

Terry's chocolate orange... lovely house and gardens with very helpful staff and very knowledgable to

House interesting with knowledgable staff. Cafe experience not the best

Lovely welcome from friendly staff

Hidden gem with nice bit of history and an excellent tea room with a view.

Great venue for a quiet coffee, amble in the gardens and interesting insight into Terrys. Make sure you tell the waiters you're on the terrace if you go al fresco.

Cosy place, lovely staff. You can really make yourself at home here, have a drink by the fire, have a game and in summer a game of tennis outside. Good insight into the lives of the Terry's

Very interesting and lovely grounds.

Very good attraction in York, worth a visit or two

Lovely house and garden. Well worth a visit.

Great bit of history, lovely building and grounds that you're able to explore.

Stylish and interesting place for a Christmas lunch.

Me and my friend went for Christmas Lunch and it was lovely couldn't fault it at,all. The food was piping hot and well presented. The service was good and the staff were pleasant. Would highly recommend it.

A cosy family house and lovely garden.

Lovely place to eat and very interesting house too .

A real gem. Warm welcoming house that really feels like home Staff knowledgeable and friendly We went when the house was beautifully decorated for Christmas . We particularly liked the games room where we played on the bagatelle.So refreshing to be able to "touch" things. We will return in Summer and explore the gardens. Parking is a bit of a problem as there is only accessible parking on site, however the Cross Keys almost opposite is very nice ( excellent choice of bar snacks and drinks) and pub customers can park there .

Although I've visited the House on several occasions, this was an opportunity to see the Christmas decorations and have lunch.We chose from a limited but varied menu; the meals were stylishly presented and very tasty. Although the dining room was busy, unlike another reviewer, we found the service both efficient and friendly.Highly recommended !!

The history of Terry's is great with lots of personal information. The garden is small but well worth while exploring.

Friendly knowledgeable staff. Interesting and poignant property

Great way to spend an hour, nice arts and crafts house formally the Terrys Chocolate owners house. Best to park on Cherry Lane outside the Holiday Inn.

Great house. Very welcoming staff. Good atmosphere as could sit on any of chairs and settees. Liked room with games in. Played chess. Gardens very peaceful in the rain! Wouldn't have thought you were in city of York. Well worth a visit. Try ginger cake. Really good.

I visited with a friend, and we both enjoyed wandering round this lovely house, reading about the Terry family. An excellent lunch in the tea room, and even in October, plenty to see in the gardens. Beautifully designed, and very relaxing atmosphere

A beautiful National trust house with outstanding gardens, you can go and have great food from there restaurant aswell. Great place to visit. 😃

Lovely place, not extensive, more of a gentle stroll really. House not large but interesting and food good too.

Wonderful arts and craft house, gardens great, next to racecourse, what a place to live, if only, excellent food in the restaurant, extremely well presented.

Interesting exhibitions. Knowledgeable friendly staff.

Unusual for a National Trust property because you can touch and use most of the contents. Also, feels like a real home rather than a museum.

A well presented and tasty lunch of caramalised onion and goats cheese quiche salad with buttered new potatoes ...delicious.

Goddard's is a National Trust Property, which provides an insight into the lives of the Terry's Chocolate family, The property and Gardens on the edge of York racecourse......is a treasure , well worth a visit..

Had a lovely look round the former home of the Terry's chocolate family. Wander at your leisure, sit and take in the era or listen to the history of the family from the people in the rooms. Beautiful gardens with views over the racecourse and a nice little tearoom to sit in or out, weather depending!

Very interesting place to visit. Lovely gardens and tea rooms

Stunningly beautiful arts and crafts house and gardens. Well worth a visit

Delightful house and garden. The garden is set out in several areas so interesting to walk round. The terrace directly behind the house has a lovely view down to the formal part of the garden. There's a small tea room with excellent cakes and light lunches. The house has a homely feel and there is seating in all of the rooms. Helpful and chatty guides made it feel like you were visiting a friend's house. We walked to the house but were told that buses go by every 10 minutes. My cheese scone was enormous as well as being delicious.

Very peaceful place to visit. Welcoming and pretty. Cafe is lovely.

Brilliant, loved every minute and every corner. We did particularly enjoy the casual presentation. Few items are under lock, glass or behind "do not touch" signs. Visors are invited to take a seat, browse additional information and photo albums or even enjoy a sherry in the drawing room! This made a very enjoyable atmosphere and allowed the mind to wonder and ponder how it would have been like. A fantastic time to be rich, two world wars notwithstanding, of course. We completed our visit with lunch on the terrace in the sunshine. Perfect!

What a beautiful house and gardens. Well worth a visit. The tea room is like stepping back in time. The food lovely. All the staff are knowledgeable and very nice 5*

Lovely House and History. Fantastic Garden where we played Tennis and Croquet. Also had a lovely walk around admiring the plants and variety of Apple Trees. It was lovely to learn about the Terry's Chocolate History. A little difficult to find if you only put in the Postcode on your Sat Nav. Best to park on Cherry Lane and walk on to the house as there is no actual Parking in the grounds. Great friendly and helpful staff as always with National Trust.

A very interesting but slightly sad story. Lovely house

Get yourself here. Worth a visit. Its a home.

Another great homely feel to this National Trust property and garden. Well worth a visit, bus drops you off at nearly the end of the driveway. If you want to know more about the Terry's family this is the place to go

Lovely peaceful arts and crafts house with pleasant gardens. Wonderful sandwiches and tea on the terrace

A great place, covering alot of history and an interesting story.