Giggle Alley wood in Eskdale green is a lovely little wood perfect for a morning out or a late afternoon stroll with the whole family. There is a hidden japanese garden in the middle of the wood. And if you wish to stop for something to eat we recommend a detour by Woodland tearoom in Santon Bridge.
Japanese Garden Information:
- Address: Smithybrow Ln, Holmrook CA19 1UB
- Woodland Trust Website: here
- Car park: Free, only space for 4-5 cars
- Dog friendly: Yes
- Can be very muddy
Woodland tearoom Information:
- Address: Santon Bridge, Nr Holmrook, Cumbria CA19 1UY
- Website: here
- Dog friendly: Yes but only in the cabin & shop not in the main restaurant.
- Booking: advised at it is a very small place and it is very busy
- Car Park: Free, along the road

Veuillez faire défiler vers le bas pour la version française.
I had told Matt several times that I wanted to visit this Japanese garden and try Woodland tearoom in Santon Bridge, which we finally did last Sunday as the weather was grey with a lot of showers and we didn’t really fancy going for a long walk in that weather.
We arrived around 10h30 at Giggle Alley car park and started our walk by wandering around the little wood taking the direction of the edge of the forest. Leaving the forest, we decided to follow the footpath to see where it has heading. After a couple of minutes, we found ourselves in front of a beautiful viewpoint overlooking the valley of Eskdale green.
After taking some photos of the views, we decided to retrace our steps and go back to the forest to find the Japanese garden.

Finally, around a corner of the wood we found the Japanese garden. This garden is very small but lovely. It has several trees, bushes and even a pond with a little bridge. It is so unexpected to find it here in the middle of the wood. A great discovery.
After this little exploration, we stopped for a lunch at the tearoom. The homemade food was great and their cakes were absolutely delicious.
Do you know this Japanese garden?
Cela faisait un moment que je disais à Matt que je voulais aller voir ce jardin japonais et essayer le salon de thé Woodland tearoom à Santon Bridge. Et c’est finalement dimanche dernier, vu que le temps n’était pas terrible et que nous n’avions pas très envie de faire une longue randonnée, que nous sommes allés.
Nous avons garé la voiture à Giggle Alley vers 10h30 et avons commencé par nous promener dans le bois en suivant la lisière. Nous avons suivi le sentier qui sortait du bois pour voir où il menait. Après quelques minutes, nous nous sommes retrouvés en dehors du bois, sur un sentier montagneux qui surplombait la vallée d’Eskdale green et qui offrait de magnifiques vues.
Après avoir pris plusieurs photos, nous sommes repartis en sens inverse pour essayer de trouver ce fameux jardin japonais.

C’est après avoir tourné dans le bois un petit moment que nous le trouvâmes au détour d’un chemin. Le jardin est assez petit mais très mignon. Il y a quelques arbustes, arbres, plantes et même un petit pond typique des jardins japonais. C’est assez marrant de trouver ce petit jardin au milieu d’un bois et c’était une belle découverte.
Après cette petite exploration, nous nous sommes arrêtés pour déjeuner au salon de thé. Les plats fait maison étaient très bons et les gâteaux étaient délicieux.
Connaissez vous ce jardin japonais?

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The Japanese garden looks a lovely little place and I really like the 10th and last shots, the colours are beautiful 🙂
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Thank you Eunice ☺️. It is a hidden gem.
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Magnifique endroit, surtout avec les couleurs d’automne 🙂
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Oui c’était super. Je pense y retourner au printemps car il me semble avoir vu des rhododendrons dans le bois qui devrait fleurir vers mai.
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This is a beautiful garden. It looks perfect for an afternoon walk. I love where you parked at Giggle Alley as it sounds like a happy place!
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Yes it is a funny name for a wood 😊
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Always lovely to find something unique and unexpected when out and about. 🙂 Lovely photos.
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Thank you ☺️. I definitely recommend it if you are around Eskdale.
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The name does make you do that- giggle, I mean! Love the colours of the heather and bracken at this time of year, Melodie. Your photos of the damp woodland and moors are very beautiful.
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Thank you Jo 😊
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🤗💗
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