2nd visit and without giving too much away - don't be too prescriptive when visiting. Just go and explore the space, the walks, the exhibits at leisure. All Staff and Volunteers were friendly and we had a lovely chat with the "life guard". Only gripes were the café/coffee van prices and the pot holes on the exit route were absolutely diabolical for a small car! Please fill with chippings - PLEASE?!

Went here today a bit pricey £9 for not very much to see. The Amethyst wall was beautiful but apart from that nothing to get excited about as a day out goes it was a bit dull..

Having loved a previous solo trip this one was ruined because they don't allow picnics & the catering is inadequate. The cheaper van option had insufficient but sunny & quiet tables, only they were also dirty & wet. Grabbed one of these while 4 of us hopped back & forward, trying to choose while fending off table interlopers, a process not helped by mum's dementia & the kids, 10 & 12, not understanding the limited menu: "claverhouse brie; pastrami; peasemeal". Eventually we queued but by the time we got to paying they had run out of soup (at 1pm). Moved to the more expensive cafe that was rammed, had queues & thumping music that sounded as though it was stuck on a loop. Garish designs contributed to the madhouse atmosphere. While queuing again a staff member told us to move out her way though there was no space to move to; menus when they came were 2 for 4 people & dirty & broken. The food we tried to order was going to take another 20 minutes to cook. I lost my appetite, our day out was spoiled. A total waste of a 2 hour round trip. 1 star before we even started.