We are CLOSED

This event has ended

Story Stones2021 19201080

Spark your little one's passion for reading with this creative summer trail, in which they will discover painted story stones in hidden areas around the gardens to fill in and create their own 'mad-libs' style story book!

In each area of the Landscape Garden, find the story stones and pick a word to write into your story - from beaches to blue tits, to mallards and mud pies! Whether you end up with a wacky and weird tale or a sensible sensical story is completely up to your child's choices - and they'll love heading from point to point to watch their story unfold.

Super Summer Activity Schedule: 24 July - 5 September

Trails

24th July - 5th September ~ Story Stones Trail

24th July - 5th September ~ The Mushroom Magic Trail

21st August - 5th September ~ The Charcoal Creations Trail

Prices & Tickets

Trail price is 50p plus standard garden admission (Hestercombe members go free).

Includes a story booklet and a colouring pencil.

You can either pay for your gardens admission online, or purchase on the day of your visit at Visitor Reception.

Membership at Hestercombe

Join today and enjoy unlimited access to Hestercombe for a whole year

Described as “one of the top twenty gardens to visit in the country”, Hestercombe is always beautiful throughout the year. Join today and enjoy great value: unlimited access to Hestercombe with prices from £4.21 per month.

Your membership includes:

  • Unlimited access to Hestercombe Gardens for a year from date of joining for the Member, guests and children according to membership type
  • Unlimited 'bring a guest' privileges during March and September
  • Half price entry for visitors accompanied by a Member of Hestercombe (one visitor per member)
  • Free children's trails available throughout the year
  • Special members’ discounts on many of our events throughout the year
  • Our 'members first approach' with members receiving 24 hours priority booking for our most popular events, such as Mother's Day, The Bampfylde Lecture, workshops and most importantly, our winter events such as the Christmas Market, Father Christmas and ILLUMINATE
  • Half price entry to our partner attractions:­ Abbotsbury Sub­tropical Gardens, Forde Abbey Gardens(half price garden entry only), The Bishop’s Palace, Wells(available for full membership only), The Garden House, Dartington Trust Gardens, Exmoor Zooand Glastonbury Abbey(half price garden entry only).

Give a Gift of Membership to friends and family and they too can enjoy all the benefits of membership.

See Membership Options

You may also be interested in...

Arcadian Visions: The art of Coplestone Warre Bampfylde

Discover the world of Coplestone Warre Bampfylde — artist, traveller and garden designer. Born at Hestercombe in 1720, Bampfylde found lifelong inspiration in the landscapes around him. His paintings range from grand, classical scenes to lively views of Britain’s coasts and countryside, capturing both real places and imagined worlds. This exhibition brings together his remarkable work, inviting visitors of all ages to explore the beauty of landscape through eighteenth-century eyes.

CWB 2 68b Portrait of C W Bampfylde by J Wootton c 1740

Layers of Time: The Gardens of Hestercombe

Hestercombe is more than a garden — it is a landscape shaped by visionaries, caretakers and changing ideas across four centuries. This exhibition explores that story, from its early formal beginnings to the sweeping eighteenth-century landscape, the artistry of the Edwardian terraces, and the remarkable restoration that has brought them back to life. Through images and interpretation, discover how each generation has left its mark on this Somerset estate — creating a place where history, design and nature exist in layers, still unfolding today.

Landcscape Garden image

Event Location

Hestercombe Gardens
Cheddon Fitzpaine
Taunton
Somerset
TA2 8LG
Take part in the Story Stones family trail around the garden at Hestercombe

What's On

2026 dates for your calendar