05/06/2026
Lovely read 💚
Colby Woodland Garden: Pembrokeshire’s secret valley where coal, colour and cake all somehow make sense
Tucked away near Amroth, Colby Woodland Garden is one of those Pembrokeshire places that feels like it should come with a whispered password and a knowing nod from a local. One minute you are following the coast road, the next you are stepping into a sheltered wooded valley of streams, wildflowers, towering trees, a walled garden and enough “how have I never been here before?” energy to power a small village.
Managed by the National Trust, Colby Woodland Garden is often described as a hidden garden. For once, the phrase is not doing heavy lifting. It really is hidden. It sits in a tranquil valley near Amroth, with an eight-acre woodland garden at its heart, a four-acre wildflower meadow, a 900-acre wider estate of woodland and farmland, and paths that can lead you all the way down towards Amroth beach. Basically, it is the sort of day out where you go for a gentle stroll and somehow return with muddy shoes, three dozen photos of flowers, a second-hand book and a deep emotional attachment to a tree.
From coalfield to calm
Long before Colby became a place of bluebells, rhododendrons and tea room decisions, it had a much grittier story. The estate was once part of Pembrokeshire’s coal industry. Records show coal was mined in the area for centuries, but Colby’s own story really gathered pace in the 1790s, when landowner John Colby came to Pembrokeshire to mine coal.
The land sits at the end of the Pembrokeshire coal seam, where seams were narrow and difficult to work. Coal mined at Colby was taken towards the coast and then by rail to Saundersfoot. The industrial past is still there if you know what to look for, with old mine routes, historic features and reminders dotted around the woodland and wider estate. The National Trust warns visitors not to enter anything that looks like a mine entrance, which is sound advice unless your day-out plan includes “Victorian peril with poor mobile signal”.
John Colby was not just a landowner. He was also Lieutenant Colonel Colby of the Pembrokeshire Militia and Governor of Haverfordwest Castle at the time of the Last Invasion of Britain in 1797. He led local militia towards Fishguard, where the French eventually surrendered. So, while Colby is peaceful today, its backstory has coal, militia, marching and international drama. Not bad for somewhere now associated with cake and camellias.
The people who planted the place we see today
The garden as visitors enjoy it today owes much to several owners and caretakers across the 19th and 20th centuries.
In 1873, Samuel Kay, a pharmacist from Stockport who had holidayed in Tenby, bought the Colby estate. He began planting the garden, and his descendants continued that work. In 1920, Samuel Kay’s daughter, Mrs Crosland, and her husband inherited the lodge. Their family added ponds and planted extensively in the woodland garden.
In 1960, Colby passed to Miss Elidyr Mason. She later sold Colby Lodge and the walled garden to Pamela and Peter Chance in 1965, while keeping the woodland garden and wider estate. When Miss Mason died in 1979, she left the woodland garden and surrounding land to the National Trust.
Pamela and Peter Chance also played a major part in shaping Colby’s character. They continued the planting, built the gazebo in the walled garden and commissioned a trompe l’oeil painting. In 1979, Peter transferred ownership of the house and walled garden to the National Trust. The Chances later left a legacy for mass planting of rhododendrons, which helps explain why spring at Colby can feel like someone has turned the saturation dial up to “steady on, nature”.
In 1985, Tony and Cynthia Scourfield-Lewis took on Colby Lodge and the walled garden. They helped transform the walled garden into the formal setting visitors see today, creating its ornamental layout. The walled garden returned to National Trust care in 2010.
Buildings, barns and a very photogenic walled garden
Colby is not a grand house visit in the usual stately-home sense. The stars here are the valley, the planting, the paths and the estate buildings that support the visitor experience.
The walled garden is one of the main highlights. It began life as a kitchen garden, had become semi-derelict by the 1970s, and was later restored into a formal garden. Today it has colour, structure, sculpture, a water feature and a Victorian Gothic gazebo. Inside the gazebo is the trompe l’oeil artwork commissioned by Peter Chance, an optical illusion that gives visitors a neat little “wait, what?” moment.
The Bothy Tearoom and the Loft Gallery are housed in a group of whitewashed barns. These buildings once served the estate community, where workers lived, cooked and slept. Today, thankfully, the emphasis is more on lunch, coffee, local crafts and the civilised business of deciding whether cake after a walk counts as recovery nutrition. Spoiler: it does.
The Visitor Welcome Centre and second-hand bookshop sit near the entrance route down towards the garden, tearoom and gallery. The bookshop raises funds to support the garden, and donations of used books are welcomed by the National Trust.
What Colby offers visitors today
Colby is a proper all-rounder. It works for families, walkers, garden lovers, wildlife watchers, dog walkers and anyone who enjoys a quiet hour where the loudest thing is a stream showing off.
Spring is one of the showpiece seasons, with bluebells, crocuses, daffodils, camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons. Summer brings hydrangeas, wildflowers, butterflies and the meadow in bloom. Autumn and winter are also worth a visit, with acers, dogwoods and sweet-gum bringing colour when much of the countryside has gone into hibernation mode.
The woodland garden is known for its rhododendrons, which thrive in the acidic soil. It is also home to a Japanese redwood said by the National Trust to be one of the tallest in the UK, standing near the newt pond. From the west wood, visitors can also find views across Carmarthen Bay, with Worm’s Head visible on a clear day.
For families, Colby is less “please don’t touch” and more “go on then, explore”. There are natural play areas, stepping stones, streams, fallen trees, a bamboo den and space for den building. The meadow and stream are especially good for children who like the kind of adventure that ends with socks of questionable dampness.
Wildlife is a big part of the appeal. The meadows, ponds, streams and woodland support birds, insects, amphibians, bats and the occasional otter. Dippers and grey wagtails can be seen along the stream, and the old buildings and woodland features are used by bats. A rare Bechstein’s bat was recorded in the woods in 2009.
Food, crafts and local flavour
A visit to Colby can quite happily be built around the Bothy Tearoom. It serves breakfast, lunch, sweet treats, cakes, ice cream and seasonal local produce. The National Trust describes it as a tearoom with historic character and charm, run by a family team. Hot drinks include locally roasted coffee, Pembrokeshire blended loose tea and hot chocolate, while warmer days bring coolers, smoothies and milkshakes. Fresh milk is delivered from Trenewydd dairy farm, around a mile away.
There is also a doggy menu, which is either charming or proof that dogs have finally won. Fair play to them.
The Loft Gallery is run by Pembrokeshire Craft Makers, a community of local independent artists and craftspeople. Visitors can find handmade pottery, jewellery, knitwear, leatherwork, original paintings, photography and other crafts. It is a handy reminder that Pembrokeshire creativity does not end at beaches, castles and people arguing lovingly about the best chip shop.
Dogs, access and practical bits
Dogs are welcome in the main garden all year round, but they must be kept on a lead. They are not allowed in the walled garden or bookshop, so plan accordingly if your dog has strong opinions about horticulture.
There are toilets near the tearoom, including baby-changing and accessible toilet facilities. There is level access from a drop-off point near the vehicle access by the Gallery, and wheelchairs may be available to hire, subject to availability. Some paths are steep, uneven or mixed surface, so visitors with mobility needs should check the access information before travelling.
Parking charges apply for non-members, while National Trust members and Blue Badge holders can park free. Opening times vary by season and by facility, so check the National Trust website before setting off. Nothing kills a spontaneous day out quite like arriving for a cuppa and discovering the tea room is having a lie-down.
Why visit?
Because Colby is Pembrokeshire in miniature. It has beauty, history, wildlife, local food, craft, walks, family adventure and a beach nearby if you fancy stretching the day into a coast-and-country double bill.
It is not loud. It does not shout for attention. It does not need to. Colby does that very Pembrokeshire thing of quietly being brilliant and letting you discover it at your own pace.
Go in spring for flowers, summer for meadow colour, autumn for fiery leaves, winter for quiet woodland. Go with children, go with a dog, go with a camera, go with someone who claims they are “not really into gardens” and watch them become emotionally invested in a stream within 20 minutes.
Colby Woodland Garden is proof that some of Pembrokeshire’s best days out are not always found by looking out to sea. Sometimes they are waiting inland, down a leafy lane, in a valley shaped by coal, care and colour.
Visitor information and useful links
Full address:
Colby Woodland Garden, near Amroth, Pembrokeshire, SA67 8PP
Main contact:
Telephone: 01646 623110
Email: [email protected]
Bothy Tearoom winter opening enquiries:
Telephone: 01834 526202
Coach visits:
Coach visits should be booked in advance through the National Trust. Call 01834 811885 and choose option 3.
Official National Trust page:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/colby-woodland-garden
Visiting the garden:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/colby-woodland-garden/visiting-the-garden-at-colby-woodland
History of Colby Woodland Garden:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/colby-woodland-garden/history-of-colby-woodland-garden
Family days out at Colby:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/colby-woodland-garden/family-days-out-at-colby-woodland-garden
Wildlife at Colby:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/colby-woodland-garden/wildlife-at-colby-woodland-garden
Eating and shopping at Colby:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/colby-woodland-garden/eating-and-shopping-at-colby-woodland-garden
Colby Woodland Garden walk:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/colby-woodland-garden/colby-woodland-garden-walk
What’s on at Colby Woodland Garden:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/colby-woodland-garden/events
Accessibility guide:
https://www.accessable.co.uk/national-trust/colby-woodland-garden-national-trust/access-guides/colby-woodland-garden-parking-and-arrival
Visit Pembrokeshire listing:
https://www.visitpembrokeshire.com/attraction-listing/colby-woodland-garden
Visit Wales listing:
https://www.visitwales.com/attraction/garden/colby-woodland-garden-535071
Bothy Tearoom Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/p/Bothy-Tearoom-Colby-Gardens-61555541773086/
Bothy Tearoom Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/bothy_tearoom_colby_woodland/
Pembrokeshire Craft Makers:
https://www.pembrokeshirecraftmakers.co.uk/
