Willowpool Garden Centre and Antiques, Cheshire

	Click the picture to enlarge it.
	The unimpressive entrance to this garden centre gives little indication as to what you will find inside. The site is a large 4½ acres and contains a collection of plants, garden figures, seats and much, much more.

This is a totally independent GardenAction review of the Willowpool Garden Centre and Antiques in Lymm, Cheshire. Click any picture to enlarge it.

PLANTS

There are some plants at Willowpool garden centre but they definitely take back place to all the other garden items which are here. The quality of the plants is good and the prices average but the selection is very small for such a large garden centre.
Undeniably the plants are displayed in an amazingly attractive way but there's no getting away from it, the "garden centre" in the name is a bit misleading. But that's semantics, read on for what Willowpool does best.

THE ESSENCE OF WILLOWPOOL

Willowpool is a mixture of antiques, garden furniture, ornaments and reclaimed metal and stonework. If you are looking for a few unusual ideas for your garden or a centre piece then this is the place to visit. You will find statues here that you haven't dreamed of; reclaimed and restored arches which are stunning; benches and ornaments which will inspire your imagination. It's a fascinating afternoon out.

The best way to get a feel of what Willowpool has is by the use of pictures. The stock is so varied and unusual that it is almost impossible to describe. The picture gallery below hopefully illustrates our point.
Click on any picture to enlarge it, the smaller pictures don't tell the whole picture. What we can say is that a stroll around will keep you interested for an easy couple of hours.

To the left a small reclaimed statue which appears to be a gargoyle.
Bizarrely on the right is an almost life size statue of a pirate?

On the left is one of the centre pieces of the outside sales area.
On the right is a an amazingly varied collection of knick-knacks.

On the left and right are a couple of the unusual garden statues. Who knows, one may inspire an idea for your garden.

A very interesting penny farthing pot planter on the left. To the right, who knows? It appears to be a set of mediaeval doors.

Restored old baths, ideal for large plant schemes.
On the right is another collection of knick-knacks displayed in a fair stall.

The building on the left houses an interesting art gallery. On the right is a spectacular display of topiary. A man driving a horse and carriage.

One of the more "eyecayching" features of the outside sales area is a collection of decorations collected from the famous Blackpool fair.

Each one is accompanied by a description detailing what the piece is and which artist created it. These pieces appear to be totally out of place.

Dotted around the outdoor area are various shops. One of those, shown on the left, is Stewart's Garden and Hadware. It stocks a very small range of garden accessories.
Other shops include a hot tub centre and a sales area for garden buildings and sheds. The apparently random selection only serves to add to the charm of this "garden centre".

THE CAFE

The layout of the cafe is unique, at least for a garden centre cafe. There is a main cafe shop but a large outside area consists of a series of individually decorated small covered rooms. Each seats from four to around sixteen people. They really are very attractively designed, decorated and furnished.
To keep some of these outdoor rooms warm in the winter, some have large patio heaters which serve their purpose very well. I can't guarantee it, but the mesh surrounding them looked reasonably "kid-proof". All in all, the atmosphere created is superb and you have to visit the cafe to appreciate it.

The menu is extensive, much more so than the specials list on the left. It includes main meals, bagels, sandwiches, toasties, salads and much more. The prices range from £3 up to £10. A large cup of very tasty coffee will set you back £1.75.
Service is attentive and pleasant with more than enough staff to cope with the odd coach load or two who turn up for a meal and a walk round the garden centre.

The quality of the food, both snacks and main meals is exceptionally high. If you are planning a lunch at the Willowpool Tea Rooms then have a small breakfast. The size of the meals is generous to say the least.

To sum up, this is the most unusual and attractively laid out garden centre cafe we have ever had the pleasure to visit. The food and service are excellent. Our recommendation goes to the cafe speciality, the savoury pancakes. Huge! Alternatively, we can fully recommend the Willowpool Rarebit.

DISABLED ACCESS
The access for a wheelchair is restricted in places, the outdoor area has cobbled paths and gravel in several places. Having said that, we noted several wheelchair users getting round successfully

DIRECTIONS AND CONTACT
The address is:
Burford Lane,
Lymm,
Cheshire WA13 0SH

A map can be found here

Tel: 01925 757827
Email: sales@willowpool.co.uk
Website: www.willowpool.co.uk

SUMMARY
A superb afternoon out is the way to describe this garden centre. A completely different format from other garden centres. Visit not for the plants but for the fascinating collection of garden items. The cafe is worth a visit on its own count, serving good food at good prices. This garden centre is well worth a visit and gets our top marks.

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