CHOOSE GARDEN CENTRES BY COUNTY BELOW
PLANTS AREA: Well displayed plants in a spotlessly clean area. Healthy plants. Good choice of plants.
See lower down this article for a more comprehensive review of the Rivendell Garden Centre plants area.
INTERIOR SALES AREA: Everything you would expect from a large garden centre.
See lower down this article for a more comprehensive review of the Rivendell Garden Centre interior sales area.
CAFE: A very average cafe serving just average food and drinks
See lower down this article for a more comprehensive review of the Rivendell Garden Centre cafe.
DOG FRIENDLY? No, Rivendell Garden Centre is not dog friendly. Only assistance / guide dogs are allowed in any part of Rivendell Garden Centre. Surprising, because Rivendell is the only Notcutts Garden Centre which is not dog friendly.
GOOGLE MAP: Click here for Google map showing the location.
Entrance to Rivendell Garden Centre
OPENING HOURS RIVENDELL GARDEN CENTRE |
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| Open | Close | |
| Monday | 9.00am | 5.00pm |
| Tuesday | 9.00am | 5.00pm |
| Wednesday | 9.00am | 5.00pm |
| Thursday | 9.00am | 5.00pm |
| Friday | 9.00am | 5.00pm |
| Saturday | 9.00am | 5.00pm |
| Sunday | 10.00am | 4.30pm |
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High Legh Garden Centre
Bents Garden Centre
Bold Heath Garden Centre
Weavervale Garden Centre
Cronton Garden Centre
SIZE: Medium to large
FOOD TYPE: The cafe serves typical garden centre food with everything from coffees / teas, cakes, breakfasts to main and snack meals.
FOOD QUALITY:
Average is the best way to describe the food. The main meals
were hot but nothing stood out as being particularly good.
Presentation of the food was unappealing.
DECOR:
The initial impression on entering the cafe is that it is in need of
lots of modernisation and a rethink of the layout. It gives the same
feeling as a school dining room. Cheap and old light fittings,
masses of cheap and depressing plastic looking chairs all arranged
in rows are not the recipe for a good cafe. One redeeming feature is
that the tables and floor are clean. There is no outdoor seating
area.
OUTDOOR SEATING: None
SERVICE:
Some main meals are served to your table others are dished up at the
counter. The queues were long when we visited the Rivendell Garden
Centre cafe.
VALUE FOR MONEY:
Average
SIZE OF PLANTS AREA: Large
PLANT SELECTION:
As you exit the main garden centre building you enter the outside
area which is at first covered to provide protection for tender
plants. The outside area has a a covered main pathway which is
semicircular. This makes the outdoor plants area more pleasant
compared to the normal rectangular shape.
Covered walkway at Rivendell Garden Centre
This is a large area containing lots of plant varieties so the large and clear signs indicating where plant groups can be found will be appreciated by the "faster" shopper. If any advice is required for plant selection then the outside help desk is manned.
The plants are good quality with little sig ns of weeds. They certainly looked in good condition. Having said that we saw no adverts for a hardy plant guarantee which was a bit of a disappointment.
The plants area is large and it houses an impressive range of plants. So you can be assured that if you are looking for a specific plant, you are very likely to find it at Rivendell Garden Centre. There are few specialist areas although we can confirm the selection of of roses and shade loving plants is particularly good.
LAYOUT:
The individual bays containing the plants are set at angles to each
other to get round the regimented approach adopted by other less
inspired garden centres. The whole area is kept scrupulously clean,
the best we have seen for a long time. The paths are more than wide
enough, flat and even paving being the base for the majority of the
area.
The designers of the area have shown that they can go that extra mile in lots of ways. Two examples were the inclusion of a small model railway amongst the heather plants and an amusing dinosaur in the the shade loving plants area. The garden building area contained an excellent selection of small and medium sized sheds and buildings.
VIDEO: Our video of the plants area at Rivendell Garden Centre appears below:
VALUE FOR MONEY:
As
far as prices are concerned, they tend to be on the high side at Rivendell
SIZE: Large
LAYOUT:
This garden centre has clearly decided to stock a huge range of
non-gardening goods. Luggage, clothes, cards, gifts, books,
children' toys, furniture and more. This is accompanied by piped
music in many parts of the building. The Food Hall is well stocked
with a deli and lots more food items.
The gardening section supplies a good range of tools, fertilisers, pesticides and all those essentials for the gardener. The aquatics centre is well stocked.
World of Water at Rivendell Garden Centre
VALUE FOR MONEY:
Slightly
above average prices.
ACCESS:
Excellent
ADDRESS:
Rivendell Garden Centre
Mill Lane
Widnes
Cheshire
WA8 3UL
OWNER:
Notcutts Garden Centres
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
0151 423 2638
EMAIL:
See their contact page
here.
WEBSITE:
https://www.notcutts.co.uk/
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February | Comment From: Fran Caulfield |
| This magic place called Rivendell has been my favourite garden centre for years. It rivals many other overcharged places such as Bents etc. Staff are always ready to help and are polite and courteous. Their cafe is absolute heaven and have in the past cooked specials for some nuns I visit. They should be number 1 in the area. GREAT GREAT GREAT . Fran Caulfield a local. | ||