The Barn Garden centre specialises in herbaceous plants plus some shrubs. No real attempt has been made to make the outdoor area attractive because the plants are the stars here.

The range of herbaceous plants is huge. More varieties of salvias, rudbeckias, irises, hemerocallis, heleniums, potentillas and many others than you have ever seen.

The plants are all arranged in alphabetic order so finding a particular one is not difficult. In common with many nurseries, you have to pick one in good condition but there is no shortage. Prices in general are on the cheap side, but the range is so vast that comparison is pointless.

We saw some wheelchair users in the cafe so it must be possible to get there but the garden centre would be problematical for some wheelchair users.

There is a very small garden shop which stocks some plant feeds and a very basic range of other goods. But the range is small. Overall, it's a very interesting place for plants, as long as you accept that the majority are herbaceous.

At the end of the plants area there is a very well-kept display garden stocked mainly with herbaceous plants. The majority are named to help you select plants from the garden centre. There is also a vegetable garden.

The gift shop at the Barn is something extraordinary. A series of three rooms stacked full of gifts and cards. This is the place to visit if you just can't think what to buy for someone! You'll find something here. I would imagine that shopping for Christmas presents would be ideal at this shop.
It's a "wander round" shop, things don't appear to be logically grouped, but that's half the fun of this shop. Well worth a visit in our opinion.

During the day there is an almost endless set of seating areas, indoors, outdoors and covered. All are very attractively laid out with solid wood tables and chairs. It's a cottage cafe type layout and it works extremely well.

As well as teas, coffees, other drinks (including beer and wine) cakes and snacks, they serve jacket potatoes with fillings (�5), baguettes and toasted croissants (�4 to �5).

Hot food is served to your table by pleasant and efficient staff. Queuing and waiting times are minimal, yet the food is freshly prepared.

The cafe is extremely popular, even bringing in coaches full of day-trippers. But at no time did it feel crowded. The quality of the food is excellent, and the portions are more than sufficient. Our toasted Lancashire cheese and ham croissant was truly laden!