Ness Botanic Gardens

Ness Botanic Gardens Part of the University of Liverpool. We are a botanic garden open all year round. 64 acres of family friendly beautiful gardens overlooking the River Dee.
(298)

As well as fantastic views, we have a range of different features from chickens, 120 metres of Herbaceous Border, a 110 year old Rock garden to the prettiest vegetable garden in the North west - the Potager. We also have fabulous collections of plants from Rowans, Birches and Magnolias through to Snowdrops and Rhododendrons. Our Garden ,Cafe, Gift Shop & plant sales are all open seven days a week, apart from the Christmas Holidays, and we have a year round course & event programme.

Update- Monday 5 January Our gardens are now open. Along with our visitor centre and cafe. Sturdy footwear is advised wi...
05/01/2026

Update- Monday 5 January

Our gardens are now open. Along with our visitor centre and cafe.

Sturdy footwear is advised with the current conditions.
Please exit the gardens via the visitors centre, our exit gates are temporarily out of action.

Thanks for your understanding and patience

Monday 5 January 2026Ness Botanic Garden's visitor centre and cafe are open. Our gardens will remain closed for now, and...
05/01/2026

Monday 5 January 2026

Ness Botanic Garden's visitor centre and cafe are open.

Our gardens will remain closed for now, and we will reassess at 12 noon. The gardens look beautiful but the paths are slippery in places.

Thanks for your understanding. Keep warm out there ❄️

Happy New Year from the team at Ness! 🌳🌿
01/01/2026

Happy New Year from the team at Ness! 🌳🌿

🎄💍 Congratulations if you got engaged over the festive period!At Ness Botanic Gardens, we host beautiful wedding ceremon...
27/12/2025

🎄💍 Congratulations if you got engaged over the festive period!
At Ness Botanic Gardens, we host beautiful wedding ceremonies and receptions in both indoor and outdoor settings, surrounded by stunning natural scenery.
✨ Book a viewing
Email [email protected] and a member of our team will be in touch in the New Year.
📅 Wedding Open Day
Sunday 25th January | 11:00am – 2:00pm

Come and explore our venue, meet the team, and start planning your perfect day.

https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/ness-gardens/weddings/

📸

🔔 Merry Christmas from all the team at Ness Botanic Gardens! 🎄
25/12/2025

🔔 Merry Christmas from all the team at Ness Botanic Gardens! 🎄

🎄 Christmas & New Year Closure 🎄Please note that Ness Botanic Gardens is now closed to both Members and visitors from 4....
21/12/2025

🎄 Christmas & New Year Closure 🎄

Please note that Ness Botanic Gardens is now closed to both Members and visitors from 4.00pm today, Sunday 21 December 2025, for the Christmas break.

🌱 Re-opening:
We’ll be pleased to welcome everyone back at 10.00am on Saturday 3 January 2026.

Thank you for your continued support — we look forward to seeing you all back at Ness Botanic Gardens in the New Year ✨🌿

We are delighted to announce that we are now a BGCI () Accredited Botanic Garden! The Botanic Gardens Conservation Inter...
20/12/2025

We are delighted to announce that we are now a BGCI () Accredited Botanic Garden!

The Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is a charity dedicated to plant conservation and environmental education. Its work links over 800 botanic gardens across 118 counties.

The BGCI assesses for high standards in criteria encompassing leadership, collections management, horticulture, conservation actions, scientific research, staff, networking and sustainability.

This accreditation reflects that Ness is excelling in the areas that make a botanic garden a botanic garden, such as:

• An underlying scientific basis for the collections
• Proper documentation of the collections, including wild origin
• Monitoring and long-term maintenance of plants in the collections
• Labelling of plants
• Conserving rare and threatened plants

We are now one of the fourteen institutions in the UK to have received accreditation. We hope to will visit our wonderful and scientifically important living collection soon! 🌳

There is still so much to see around the garden this winter! Here are some horticultural highlights from this week:1. Th...
19/12/2025

There is still so much to see around the garden this winter! Here are some horticultural highlights from this week:

1. The berries of the narrowleaf firethorn (Pyracantha angustifolia) and cotoneaster teaming up to beat the winter gloom

2. Acacia dealbata's frothy yellow flowers rubbing shoulders with the foliage of Pittosporum eugenioides 'Variegatum' in the Australasian Bed

3. The fascinating fungus Geastrum triplex, commonly known as the collared earthstar, nestled in a corner in the Rock Garden. Its spores disperse when rain drops hit the delicate skin of the spore sack.

🎄 Christmas & New Year Opening at Ness Botanic Gardens 🎄Please note that Ness Botanic Gardens will close at 4.00pm on Su...
17/12/2025

🎄 Christmas & New Year Opening at Ness Botanic Gardens 🎄

Please note that Ness Botanic Gardens will close at 4.00pm on Sunday 21 December 2025 to both Members and visitors for the Christmas break.

❄️ Enjoy a winter walk this week and soak up the seasonal beauty before we close.

🌱 Re-opening:
We’ll be delighted to welcome everyone back from 10.00am on Saturday 3 January 2026.

Thank you for your support throughout the year — we look forward to seeing you again at Ness Botanic Gardens in the New Year ✨🌿

🌿 We’re Hiring: Education Supervisor at Ness Botanic Gardens 🌿We’re looking for a proactive, creative and organised indi...
16/12/2025

🌿 We’re Hiring: Education Supervisor at Ness Botanic Gardens 🌿

We’re looking for a proactive, creative and organised individual to help deliver our learning and engagement offer at the beautiful Ness Botanic Gardens.
In this role, you will plan and deliver inspiring experiences for a wide range of audiences, including (but not limited to):

🌱 School groups
👨‍👩‍👧 Family activities
☀️ School holiday programmes
🧪 Family trials and engagement activities

They’ll bring a clear understanding of learning in a variety of contexts, adapting activities to suit different ages, needs and settings, and working collaboratively to ensure high-quality, engaging experiences.

Role details:
⏱ 0.47 FTE (16 hours per week)
📅 Ideally 2 days per week, following an agreed and consistent pattern
🏫 Same 2 days during term time, to support school bookings

If you’re passionate about learning, nature, and engaging diverse audiences in meaningful ways, we’d love to hear from you.

👉 Join us and help inspire curiosity, connection and learning through gardens.

For more details and to apply visit the University of Liverpool careers page
https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/working/jobvacancies/

🎄✨ Give the Gift of an Experience This Christmas ✨🎄Looking for a thoughtful, memorable Christmas gift? Our classes and w...
15/12/2025

🎄✨ Give the Gift of an Experience This Christmas ✨🎄

Looking for a thoughtful, memorable Christmas gift? Our classes and workshops are the perfect way to treat someone special to time, creativity, and wellbeing. 🌿

✨ Coming up in 2026:

🌲 Forest Bathing – Journeys In Nature- Forest Bathing Liverpool
Slow down and reconnect in the peaceful Spinney Woods at Ness. A gentle, guided sensory walk designed to reduce stress and boost wellbeing.
📅 Sat 21 March | Sat 18 April | Sat 9 May 2026
💷 From £15 per session

🍄 Foraging with Foragingforages
Join Sam on a guided foraging walk around Ness Gardens and discover edible seeds, mushrooms, and berries hiding in plain sight.
📅 Sun 19 April | Sat 16 May | Sat 13 June | Sun 20 Sept | Sun 18 Oct
💷 From £35 per session

🚶 Nordic Walking Courses
4-week courses for all abilities – beginners to advanced. A great way to get active and enjoy the outdoors.
📅 New courses start Tues 13 Jan & Wed 14 Jan (run monthly)
💷 From £40 per 4-week course

🌸 Floral Design with Dawn Weaver
Explore the art of floral design using beautiful seasonal British flowers. Create stunning displays throughout the year.
📅
• Sat 21 March – Easter Design
• Sat 20 June – Summer Solstice Hand-Tied Design
• Sat 19 Sept – Table Centre Designs
• Sat 24 Oct – Autumnal Wreaths
💷 From £45 per workshop

🎁 Classes and workshop bookings available now – meaningful, sustainable, and unforgettable.
👉 Visit our website for full details and booking. Whats On> Classes and Workshops

Join us for our Christmas family trail, running until Monday 15 December. Enjoy a winter stroll around the gardens to se...
11/12/2025

Join us for our Christmas family trail, running until Monday 15 December.
Enjoy a winter stroll around the gardens to see how many reindeer you can spot.

Address

Ness Botanic Gardens, Neston Road
Chester
CH644AY

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 4:30pm
Sunday 10am - 4:30pm

Telephone

01517956300

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Ness Botanic Gardens posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Ness Botanic Gardens:

Shortcuts

Share

Our Story

64 acres (28 hectares) of family friendly beautiful gardens overlooking the River Dee. As well as fantastic views, we have a range of different features from chickens, 120 metres of Herbaceous Border, a 110 year old Rock garden to the prettiest vegetable garden in the North west - the Potager. We also have fabulous collections of plants from Rowans, Birches and Magnolias through to Snowdrops and Rhododendrons. Our Garden, Cafe, Gift Shop & Plant Sales are all open seven days a week, apart from the Christmas Holidays, and we have a year round course & event programme.