Stapeley Water Gardens

Author's product rating:   

Prices
Is it worth visiting?
Transport links
Family Friendly

Advantages:	Large selection of water related items
Disadvantages:	Busy during peak times

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

OK, so I know most of you are still groaning at the title, but it was the best I could think of at the time. None the less it is an accurate statement as having visited Stapeley Water Gardens on many occasions; I can say that it is the best place around for all aquarium and pond needs.

Stapeley Water Gardens is situated, not as Ciao currently have it in Birmingham, but in the small Cheshire village of Stapeley. Situated on the A51 road a mile or so outside of Nantwich, the centre is easily accessible from all angles and only 15 miles off the M6 motorway at junctions 16. (with signposts)

The opening times of the garden centre are as follows.

Summer:

Mon - Sat 9am-6pm

(Wed until 8pm, Mid March-Mid Sept)

Sun 10am-4pm Bank Holidays 10am - 6pm

Winter:

Mon - Sat 9am - 5pm
Sun 10am - 4pm
Bank Holidays 10am - 5pm

Stapeley Water Gardens have been open for well over 35 years now and have long had a reputation for being one of the leading centres of water gardening not just in Britain, but throughout the world.

Now as you enter the car park, the first things that you will see are some very impressive fountain and water displays. This is just a taste of what is inside the centre. The car park itself is huge with well over a thousand spaces, with adequate provision for disabled visitors. However, despite this, the garden centre can become very busy on hot summer weekends, and finding a space can still be difficult.

Inside the first building that you will enter are some standard garden centre tools and items. Ranging from forks and spades to garden ornaments right through to selected garden clothing and footwear.

As you progress through the centre, you will come to the outdoor section. This is by far the most impressive part of the place, (except the fish of course!!!) Here you will find items such as pots and baskets for container gardens, as well as a comprehensive selection of electric and petrol lawn mowers.

Further on you will come to the section with a huge choice of water features and fountains to choose from. Some of the more impressive ones are also demonstrated and these have to be seen to be believed.

As you continue on your tour you will proceed down a ramp into the actual outdoor water gardens themselves. A hugely impressive collection of flower beds, grassy areas intertwined with various pond designs. Here you will find all the inspiration that you could ever wish for, from a simple shallow water feature, to the large lake in the centre with hundreds of fish and lilies. Alternatively if you are not looking for any water features for your garden, the walk around is well worth it for the sheer enjoyment of the landscaping and the peaceful atmosphere that it provides.

After the tour of the gardens, you will come across an awe inspiring collection of plants, herbs, shrubs and trees. The collection is huge, with row after row of choice.

Once you have finished browsing the plants, its time to return indoors and move onto my favourite section of the centre, namely the fish part. Here you will find a large collection of tropical, marine and coldwater fish, all kept in very clean, well maintained tanks. In addition, a wide variety of foods, treats and in-tank ornaments are available. Further to this you can purchase any type of plant for your pond or aquarium, with helpful expert advice available on any of these. In addition, this advice is given in a very friendly and willing manner, and nothing is too much trouble, which promotes a pleasant atmosphere in the centre. Pumps, lining and piping is also available in this section, so it really is your one stop shop for all your fishing needs.

After this section there is a general pet section with birds, rabbits, rats, hamsters and the like available for purchase with a very large range of cages and accessories for whichever pets you may have.

Finally there is a craft area, with hobby equipment, as well as a large range of souvenirs and chocolates available. An ice cream shop is also situated just outside the main door which is open throughout the summer months.

One word of caution however is that the centre is immensely popular and as I stated, car parking can become a problem at these peak times. As well as this queues at the tills and for advice can become very large indeed, especially in the afternoons of hot summers weekends and bank holidays.

Finally I would also add that as well as the Stapeley Water Gardens, on the same site you have the Stapeley Angling Centre for all you angling needs, as well as the hugely popular (and expensive!!!) tropical oasis known as the Palms. Here you will find various tropical birds and animals and is a big hit with the children. My advice would be if you are a tourist to put an afternoon aside and do both the water gardens and the Palms centre to get maximum enjoyment out of your day.

To sum up I would recommend anyone who can visit the place to do so, as it is an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon, and I just want to thank everyone for the read and any comments or opinions are very welcome.