Overview

Cafe Flourish is located in 21 acres of parkland next door to St. Catherine’s House, a lovely 19th century former mansion. We visited here to meet up with family and it’s a lovely stopover for anyone looking for a peaceful place to relax and or connect with nature. The café offers a wide selection of delicious food and cakes etc. and has a reading room which is a cosy creative space off the main dining area along with a beautiful outdoor eating space overlooking the gardens. I was particularly impressed by the venue's ethos; I loved the way that there is so much local community involvement and support; all sorts of activities such as crafting, drawing, sewing, walking, sports and gardening groups can be accessed in the complex and parkland. Training and qualifications are also on offer; it really feels so welcoming it’s a fantastic resource, well worth a visit. The cafe states that inclusivity is at its heart and I can definitely vouch for this. I was very pleased to find that the beautiful gardens were really accessible for me in my powerchair; the flowers were at a great height for me to admire from the vantage point of my chair, I even managed to access the greenhouses which were full of herbs and wildflowers for sale at a very reasonable price. There is also play equipment for the whole family to enjoy. We sat out on the terrace looking down on the gardens below which were accessible via a ramp. I also want to give a shout out to the staff who were lovely and welcoming; they couldn't have done any more to make us feel at home, they really made the whole experience special. Thank you Cafe Flourish for making such a difference to the community and for creating this gorgeous venue; its also a great alternative to typical service stations if you are on a longer journey down the road.

Transport & Parking

We drove there; parking is free in the grounds and disabled parking is available in front of St. Catherine’s House; there is easy access from the A1 and M18. There are options for buses from Doncaster but I can’t say if they are accessible.

Access

Wheelchair access was really good in both in the café and in the gardens; staff came to see if we needed help accessing the ramp at the entrance and made us feel welcome. The beautiful gardens are also very accessible.

Toilets

The toilet was very clean and spacious despite it being an old building; it had lots of grab rails. If it had had a Changing Spaces toilet and a red cord, I would have given it 5 stars.

Staff

The staff were lovely, welcoming and very helpful.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

There was a hand sanitiser available. This venue is well-worth a visit; I will definitely be back next time I'm in the area and would recommend it to everyone.

Photos