Is a Newt membership worth it?
The short answer? If you plan to visit more than once, it’s very good value.
A Newt membership is not simply an entrance ticket. It offers 12 months to watch the gardens change, return for seasonal events and spend unrushed days among the orchards, woodland and attractions.
Here’s what to consider before joining...
What does membership include?
Annual membership includes:
The formal gardens, which act as a journey through gardening history. Visit the Cottage Garden, the Victorian Scented Terraces, the Cascades, the Parabola, the Japanese Garden and the Kitchen Gardens
Extensive parklands, including the Marl Pit, Woodlands, the Deer Park, the Grotto and numerous lakes and ponds.
The Roman Villa Experience – a reconstruction of a Roman Villa, a museum full of archeological finds and Roman Gardens.
The Story of Gardening exhibition.
The Beezantium.
Seasonal estate events, including Apple Day Weekend, Wassail, Fire Night, The Great Garden Show, The Summer Farm Show, and harvest and festive weekends.
Free guided tours.
Entry to over 20 selected partner gardens.
Access to member spa days.
Access to the Garden Café – The Newt’s members only restaurant – and our two retail stores: The Farm Shop and our Home & Garden Store.
The option to buy Guest Day Passes.
Free entry for accompanying children aged 16 and under.
Special member discounts and offers from The Newt’s online store.
How much does it cost?
An individual membership costs £100, or £85 when paid by Direct Debit.
Joint membership is £175, or £140 by Direct Debit.
Local residents within six miles of the estate can join for £60, reduced to £45 by Direct Debit.
Children aged 16 and under enter free when accompanied by an adult member.
For context, a Member Guest Pass costs £25. After four visits, the cost per visit of an individual Direct Debit membership is already lower than the price of four guest passes – before considering tours, events and partner garden entry.
For joint members (paying by Direct Debit) who visit five times a year, the cost per visit, per person works out to £14 a visit. Per month, that works out to roughly £5.80 a month.
The gardens are open 364 days a year, giving members the chance to see apple blossom in spring, abundant produce in summer, orchards heavy with fruit in autumn and the quiet structure of the landscape in winter.
Food, workshops, spa days, certain events and Guest Day Passes are charged separately.
Beyond the estate
Membership also includes free entry to a collection of over 20 partner gardens that span the UK and beyond.
These include Kew Gardens, Wakehurst, Blenheim, Great Dixter, Chatsworth, the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan, alongside international gardens in the US and China.
For keen gardeners, this benefit alone can add considerable value to a garden membership in Somerset.
Who will enjoy it?
A Newt membership is likely to suit you if you:
Our closest neighbours use the estate like their local park, where they can enjoy a peaceful walk without traffic, stop for a coffee, and keep little ones entertained in the fresh air. We also have many regulars attending our workshops, yoga classes and Run Club.
Those who live slightly further afield may visit a few times each season, joining us for our big weekend events, taking advantage of our year-round Newtlings programme (particularly over summer and half-term holidays) and enjoying a regular chance to see how the gardens are changing as the year progresses.
Situated near the Wiltshire/Somerset border, The Newt is within an hour’s drive of many cities and towns, including Bristol, Bath, Salisbury, and Taunton. Acting as a gatekeeper to the West Country, our location also makes an excellent journey break for those passing through to Cornwall, Dorset and Devon (or indeed, in the other direction!).
Is it worth it?
Any useful Newt membership review comes down to one question: will you return?
One of the consistent points of feedback we get from visitors is that there is simply too much to see and do in one day, particularly when you factor in our museums and exhibitions.
The estate is designed to change from one visit to the next. Gardens flower and fade, menus follow the land and the calendar moves from spring celebrations to harvest feasts and winter trails.
Visit a few times and membership begins to make financial sense. Return throughout the year and its real value becomes clear: the chance to slow down, look closer and watch Somerset’s seasons unfold.