Trentham Gardens Lakeside Walk

A swan sitting in the middle of Trentham Gardens Lake, with trees in the background.

Overview

Difficulty: Easy

Distance: 2.05 miles / 3.30 kilometres

Terrain Type: Flat gravelled pathways

Starts from: Gardens Entrance in Trentham Shopping Village.

Introduction

This short but relaxing route runs around the perimeter of Trentham Gardens Lake, before finishing in the beautiful Italian gardens. The flat and brief nature of this walk means that it’s a great route for people and dogs of all walking abilities. Dogs must be kept on leads around the gardens.

Opening times for the gardens vary throughout the year, and members can get in an hour before those with day tickets. I’ve included a table below that shows you all the opening times for the next few months.

Location Date Members Day Tickets
Gardens
9 December – 1 January
9am – 3:30pm (Last entry 2:30pm)
10am – 3:30pm (Last entry 2:30pm)
2 January – 29 January
8:30am – 4:30pm (Last entry 3:30pm)
9:30am – 4:30pm (Last entry 3:30pm)
30 January – 26 February
8am – 5pm (Last entry 4pm)
9am – 5pm (Last entry 4pm)
Shopping Village
10am – 5:30pm
Car Parks
7am – 10:30pm

The Trentham Estate is located in north Staffordshire, roughly 15 minutes drive from Stoke-on-Trent city centre. For this walk, you’ll want to park on the Trentham Shopping Village car park. There’s plenty of parking to choose from and it’s also free.

Once you’ve parked up, head into the middle of the shopping village towards the Gardens Entrance building. To access the gardens from here, you’ll need to pay an admission fee. Adult tickets are currently £12.50 each, tickets for children aged between 5-15 cost £9.00 and children under 5 are allowed in for free. A family ticket costs £37.00 and gets you access for 2 adults and 2 children. A full list of prices can be found here. 

Alternatively, if you’re local like I am and plan on making use of the gardens multiple times a year, you can buy an annual pass which allows you to access the gardens as many times as you like for a fixed price. Current annual pass prices can be found here.

Route

The route covered by this article is outlined in blue on the map. There are some deviations from this path that you can take to make the walk slightly longer, as well as other areas/routes at Trentham you can choose to walk, both of which I plan to cover in future. For this route though, we will be sticking to strolling along the side of the lake and taking in the beautiful views across the water. 

When you emerge from the other side of the Gardens Entrance building, cross the footbridge in front of you that spans the River Trent. Once you have reached the other side you’ll see the Italian gardens in front of you, but you’ll want to take the path to your left that leads to the bottom end of the lake.

 

A map showing the route around the lake.
A sign saying "North Jetty" with the ferry in the background.
Trentham Garden's miniature train station.

Once you’ve turned left onto the path, it’s a straightforward loop around the lake. There are plenty of things to keep your eye out for though along the way. The first major point of interest is the north jetty, where the ferry boat begins its journey down to the other jetty at the bottom end of the lake. Next to the jetty is the the miniature train station, where the little ones can catch a ride on the line which runs about half the length of the lake (both the ferry and the train are seasonal, so the service may be limited in the winter months). 

As you make your way further down this side, you’ll begin to notice the first of many artworks that are dotted around the route. These range from giant wooden carvings of animals like beetles and otters, to more abstract metal sculptures. The artworks that Trentham is best known for however are the wire sculpted fairies that are located all over the gardens. If you’ve got the kids with you, trying to find all the individual fairies is a great way of keeping them entertained on the walk.

Pathway through the trees, with the cascade on the right hand side.
White dog sitting on the pathway, with wicker basket sculptures hanging overhead.

As you approach the bottom of the lake, you’ll reach the cascade – a stunning stone waterfall that feeds a ford running over the main pathway. There is a small wooden footbridge over the ford you can use, but the water is shallow enough to walk through if you fancy getting your boots and paws wet. 

After the cascade, the path curves to the right up a short bank until you reach the Lakeside Café. From here you can buy a selection of hot and cold refreshments, and enjoy them either inside or on one of tables outside by the water’s edge. Dogs are welcome inside the café, and there are bowls of water available for your pooch to drink from if they’ve worked up a thirst. There is also a toilet block located behind the café.

A swan sitting in the middle of the lake, with trees in the background.
A curved pathway through the meadow, with wire dandelion sculptures running alongside.

The pathway then continues along the other side of the lake. The long metal fence running parallel with the path to the left is the border with the Trentham monkey forest. If you’re lucky, you might be able to spot a monkey or two up in the tree tops!

Speaking of wildlife, there’s plenty of it out on the lake. The gardens are home to over 50 species of birds, including waterfowl, kingfishers, and a family of black swans. One of the islands in the middle of the lake serves as a heronry, and at the last count there were 42 breeding pairs at the gardens.

About halfway up the lake you will enter Burke’s Wood – once you hit the mushroom sculptures, the path splits off into two. Going to the left here will extend your walk by taking you on a path through the disc golf area and onto the fields at the top. For this route however, we’ll follow the path to the right.

The path continues through the wooded area for a short while until you reach a meadowed area with more fairy sculptures. From here, the path leads to the Tearoom Kiosk, another dog friendly cafe offering a tasty selection of food and drink. To the left of the cafe is a large children’s playground, but it’s worth noting that dogs aren’t allowed inside the play area. 

To the right of the Tearoom Kiosk are the beautiful Italian gardens. The route shown on the map cuts straight across the front of the gardens, taking you past the impressive statue of Perseus slaying Medusa through to the bridge to the exit. However, it’s well worth having a stroll around the rest of the gardens and enjoying all of its stunning features.

 

Pathway leading to the Tearoom Kiosk building.
Fountain in the Italian Gardens.

What to do after

Once you’ve finished exploring the gardens, you can leave via the same bridge to the Gardens Entrance. I’d definitely recommend having a look around the shops before heading home however. They sell everything from outdoor clothing and dog accessories to fine art, and the majority of the shops are happy to welcome your four-legged friends inside. 

If you’re looking to get a bite to eat before you go, grab a table at Willow restaurant. They offer an all day dog friendly dining experience, where your dog gets their own bed to relax in while you enjoy a delicious meal. It fills up fast at weekends and sunny days, so booking a table is probably a wise move. 

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