Our New Year promises to you!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our visitor survey back in October and November.

It is greatly appreciated that so many people felt strongly enough about Hestercombe to share their thoughts. We were delighted to hear some of the ways in which Hestercombe has enriched lives and that it’s a special place for many.

One reason for running this survey was that we don’t want to rest on our laurels and we’re determined to continue to grow this special place, where every visit is rewarded with magical memories.

We have shared what you said (good and bad) with the entire team and are aware that even though we get many things right, there is more we can do to improve.

Given the time of year, we want to make some commitments to you for 2023…

1. We heard that you want us to get the balance right with dishes and prices in our restaurant and café. In addition to making sure great value takeaway options are available as much as possible throughout the warmer months in 2023, we will soon be introducing a ‘Saver Menu’ in the restaurant to ensure the best possible value for the same high quality food.

2. We promise to work on our play area near the charcoal burner in the Landscape Garden over the winter to ensure that it is a fun and safe place for children of all ages to play. In the longer term we will continue to search for ways to fund a larger play area at Hestercombe.

3. Cost is an increasingly important consideration for every individual and family across the country. While Hestercombe is not immune to significantly increased costs, we are very conscious that we need to keep our prices as low as possible, to be accessible to as many people as possible. For this reason we commit to raising our membership and entry prices for 2023 by no more than 8%, below inflation.

4. We want to do everything we can to encourage children to play and explore at Hestercombe, and again, are conscious of needing to offer great value to families. For 2023, we will always have free children’s trails available, and for our most popular trails such as Halloween, there will be a free option.

5. Many visitors and members have commented on how interested they are in Hestercombe’s diverse history and the fascinating stories that have been shared in previous temporary exhibitions. In 2023, we aim to create a permanent exhibition of Hestercombe’s history in the house for all to enjoy.

There is much more we aim to achieve in 2023, with a goal of making your experiences at Hestercombe even more memorable.

We hope to see you here over the course of the year. If you have any further feedback for us, simply email info@hestercombe.com.

Richard Mira

Managing Director