Visiting the garden at Penrhyn Castle

The walled garden at Penrhyn Castle and garden is covered in frost. — Come for a frosty walk down to the Walled Garden | © National Trust / Paul Harris

Like the castle itself, Penrhyn’s gardens are extensive and offer something for everyone. Make sure you pack your sense of adventure and expect the unexpected.

Winter highlights in the garden

There's still plenty to see and do in the garden over winter. In fact, the gardeners consider it to be a very busy time of year.

Look out for individual winter blooms across the garden and breathe in the aroma of emerging snowdrops and the wintery scent of sarcococca and hamamelis.

Garden views

Winter is one of the best times to enjoy the views from the garden, with the crisp air giving clearer views of the snow-capped mountain range and surrounding landscape.

Welly walks

Weekends, 11am–3pm

Pull on your boots and experience the ever-changing landscape around the garden and wider grounds on one of the Welly Walks taking place every day from throughout January at Penhryn Castle.

Keep your eyes peeled for friendly robins too – they might even keep you company on your walk.

Close up of robin sitting on a wooden fence post in winter — Look out for robins all around the estate | © National Trust Images/Derek Hatton

Fun for all the family

No matter what the weather, there are plenty of activities for you to enjoy outdoors connecting with nature. From birdwatching to walking, running to simply taking a big breath in.

The Bog Garden

Monstrous Gunnera plants dominate the jungle like Bog Garden. Lose yourself amongst its leaves during the spring and summer or head up to the lookout point by the thatched hut for an elevated view.

The Walled Garden

Peace and tranquillity can be found in the precise topiary, geometric lines, symmetric ponds and meticulous planting of the Walled Garden. Here, Walter Speed’s 19th-century vision for one of Britain’s top three gardens of the time can really be appreciated.

Picnic with a view at Penrhyn

With views over Conwy Bay and Snowdonia, the unfussy lawns at Penrhyn are a perfect spot for a picnic. Young explorers can run, roll and cartwheel to their heart's content.

Dogs at Penrhyn Castle

Penrhyn is also perfect for your canine companions. There are top-quality trails to sniff and bushes to explore. We do ask that you keep dogs on a short lead but please feel free to let your imagination run wild. Please speak to our visitor welcome team if you have any questions about your visit.

The Canine Code

We’ve worked with our partner Forthglade to come up with this Canine Code, which helps to make sure everyone can enjoy their day:

Keep them close: using a short lead helps to keep your dog from disturbing ground-nesting birds and farm animals. It's essential to use a short lead around sheep. But if cattle approach you, it's best to let your dog off the lead, and call them back when it's safe to do so.
Pick up the poo: please always clear up after your dog. If you can't find a bin nearby, take the poo bags home with you.
Watch the signs: keep an eye on local signs and notices wherever you're walking. They'll tell you if a beach has a dog ban, for instance, or if a path has been diverted, or if you're in an area where dogs can run off-lead.
Stay on the ball: remember that not everyone loves dogs, and some people fear them. So make sure your dog doesn't run up to other people, especially children.