Bodnant Garden
Bodnant Garden, Tal-y-Cafn, Conwy, LL28
An 80-acre National Trust garden above the Conwy valley, famous for the UK's longest laburnum arch, Italianate terraces, the Dell and five National Collections.
Visit information checked 22 October 2026
Garden UK guide
Why visit Bodnant Garden?
Bodnant is a garden of two halves. The upper garden around the house is formal, with five Italianate terraces looking west across the Conwy valley to the Carneddau mountains. Below them the ground drops into the Dell, a wooded valley of the River Hiraethlyn with towering conifers, a waterfall and informal planting. Across 80 acres of hillside there is enough for a full day.
In the upper garden, the Laburnum Arch is the best-known sight, the longest in the UK and in flower in May and June. The terraces, built between 1905 and 1914, include the Lily Terrace with its great cedars and the Canal Terrace with the Pin Mill, an 18th-century building moved here from Gloucestershire in 1938. The Shrub Borders hold plants brought back by Edwardian plant hunters, including a handkerchief tree grown from seed collected by Ernest Wilson. Lower down, the Pinetum in the Dell has Douglas fir, Japanese umbrella pine and giant redwood among its champion trees, and newer areas such as the Winter Garden, Old Park Meadow, Yew Dell, The Far End and Furnace Wood and Meadow have opened since 2012.
Bodnant holds five National Collections: Magnolia, Embothrium, Eucryphia, Rhododendron forrestii and Bodnant hybrid rhododendrons, of which there are around 350. If you grow rhododendrons or magnolias, it is one of the best places in Britain to see what they can do. The garden is steep in places, so plan a route and take your time.
What to see
- Walk under the Laburnum Arch, the longest in the UK, in May and June.
- Take in the view from the Italianate terraces across the Conwy valley to the Carneddau.
- See the Pin Mill on the Canal Terrace, rebuilt here brick by brick in 1938.
- Explore the Dell, with its Pinetum of champion conifers and waterfall.
- Find the five National Collections, including Bodnant's own hybrid rhododendrons.
- Visit newer areas such as the Winter Garden and The Far End by the river.
Bodnant Garden through the year
- spring
- Spring is magnolia and rhododendron season, with the National Collections at their peak.
- summer
- Late spring into early summer brings the Laburnum Arch into flower, followed by roses and lilies on the terraces.
- autumn
- Autumn colour fills the Dell and the champion trees, with eucryphias flowering late in summer.
- winter
- The Winter Garden, one of the areas opened since 2012, gives a reason to visit in the coldest months; check opening first.
The story behind the garden
Henry Davis Pochin, a Victorian industrial chemist and MP, bought the Bodnant estate in 1874 and worked with Edward Milner to relandscape it, planting conifers by the river to create a Pinetum and making a woodland and water garden in the valley. They also built the Laburnum Arch. His daughter Laura McLaren, Baroness Aberconway, carried on, handing the garden to her son Henry McLaren, 2nd Lord Aberconway, in 1901.
Henry built the five terraces between 1905 and 1914 and sponsored plant hunters including Ernest Wilson, George Forrest and Frank Kingdon-Ward. With head gardener Frederick Puddle he bred the Bodnant hybrid rhododendrons. In 1949 he gave the garden to the National Trust, the second garden it accepted after Hidcote. Three generations of McLarens and of the Puddle family continued to run it, and new areas have opened since 2012.
Plan your visit
- Best for
- Rhododendron and magnolia lovers, plant history enthusiasts and anyone who enjoys big views and a full day in a garden.
- Getting there
- Bodnant is near Tal-y-Cafn in the Conwy valley in north Wales, south of Conwy and Llandudno.
- Before you go
- The garden is on a steep hillside, so expect slopes and steps between the terraces and the Dell. Check the National Trust site for current opening times and tickets.
Source: Wikipedia: Bodnant Garden
Questions about visiting Bodnant Garden
When does the Bodnant laburnum arch flower?
The Laburnum Arch, the longest in the UK, usually flowers in May and June. Its exact timing varies with the weather, so check the National Trust site for current flowering updates before you go.
Is Bodnant Garden National Trust?
Yes. Henry McLaren, 2nd Lord Aberconway, gave Bodnant to the National Trust in 1949, and it was the second garden the Trust accepted after Hidcote. Members enter free.
How long do you need at Bodnant Garden?
Allow at least half a day and ideally a full day. The 80 acres include the formal terraces, the Dell, the Shrub Borders and newer areas such as The Far End.
What National Collections are at Bodnant?
Bodnant holds five National Collections: Magnolia, Embothrium, Eucryphia, Rhododendron forrestii and the Bodnant hybrid rhododendrons, of which there are around 350. Many trace back to Edwardian plant-hunting expeditions.
What is the Poem at Bodnant?
The Poem is the McLaren family mausoleum, built in 1882 by Henry Pochin as a memorial to his children. It stands on a rocky outcrop at the end of the Dell and is Grade II listed.
Garden features
Location
Bodnant Garden, Tal-y-Cafn, Conwy, LL28
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