katygriff has been thanked 2 times for this contribution
"Trentham gardens is such a wonderful place and one where you can quite happily spend the whole day and still want to go back there again the next as it is that nice. It can be made as romantic, dramatic or as family orientated a trip as you would like and I do think there is something for everybody there. I would recommend to everybody and here is why I always go back there.
Trentham is based in Stoke-on-Trent and it is a lovely area full of nice houses, nice pubs and of course Trentham gardens. The actual place is pretty easy to get to as it is just off a roundabout on the main road leading into Stoke. I would not say when you get there it will look special as it doesn't but when you get though the entrance gates you will see why it is so lovely there and a major attraction for this area.
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Gardens:
From the name I am sure you can guess that there are quite a few gardens here to see including the relatively new Italian gardens. Now you do have to pay a small fee of a couple of pounds to gain access to the gardens but it really is worth it if you appreciate nice scenery and good walks.
The Italian gardens are very pretty with lots to see and have a nosy at. There is a lot to walk around and in the middle of Trentham gardens is a massive lake which provides some stunning scenery and you will often see a lot of wildlife around. I would say you could quite happily spend a couple of hours around the gardens and it is nice and relaxing to do.
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Lake:
There is a huge lake at Trentham that you can actually go and do some small water sports activities which basically involves huge pedalos but that is fun enough for me. They are only about £4 each and it is nice to do as it keeps you occupied and on a nice summers day there will be loads of people doing exactly the same thing.
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Walks:
Trentham gardens has so many walks around including a walk right up to a monument which takes a good couple of hours of hard walking aswell. There are walks along the lake, around the gardens and details for all of these are signposted but you can also ask in all of the information centres. I don't think people expect this place to be as big as it is as it doesn't look that big when you enter. I do think though if you do decide to go on a walk to take a picnic with you and some drinks as it is easy to get hot and bothered especially if you go on the walks that involve walking uphill.
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Monkey Forest:
This is a new part to Trentham and involves walking around a forest full of loose monkeys which is so nice to do. You can get there by walking along the lake which connects Trentham gardens with the Monkey forest and it is well worth doing. You can happily spend a couple of hours here which is excellent and if you like animals it is ideal as the monkeys are just adorable. Go in the summer to catch all of the baby monkeys.
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Travel:
While at Trentham there is a small train and a small boat which takes you from the gardens to the Monkey forest which are actually quite fun to take.
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Craft Shops:
This is relatively new to Trentham gardens and it is absolutely superb. There are so many including whole food shop, metal shop, jewellery shops, food court, natural world shop, craft shop, Whittards shop, outdoor shop and many more. There is so much to see and buy if I dare say it and I spent about an hour just skimming some of the craft shops so you could spend a lot more time there.
The craft shops are in little wooden huts so it fits well into the country theme and they are all clean and set out well so you can see everything.
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German Food and Drink:
At the moment there is a small German market there which sells food and drink and a few souvenirs so it is worth a quick look and I have to say that all of the food does smell delicious although I had just eaten so I didn't get any.
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Visitor Centre:
There is quite a big visitor centre where you can get all of the information about the grounds and what is available to do for everybody while you are there. They will detail any events to take place and help you with any walks you want to go on.
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Food and Drink:
Around the craft centre there are many cafes where you can get a snack and drinks and also more importantly ice-cream on a hot day. May I say that the ice-cream is so delicious and I actually had two in the space of an hour.
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Getting Here:
You can get to Trentham by car and the address is as follows;
Trentham Gardens.
Stone Road,
Trentham
Stoke on Trent
ST4 8AX.
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Other:
Trentham gardens are often host to events and the main one is the graduations of Staffordshire University once a year. I had my graduation there and it was in such beautiful grounds it made the whole day so special.
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Verdict:
I do think that you should come and visit here if you get the chance as it is truly a wonderful place with lots to do and see. I think everybody would have an enjoyable time here.
;)
