Glow Wild: Wakehurst responds to criticism

Some visitors have taken to TripAdvisor to complain about lack of social distancing, long queues and unhelpful staff.

A spokesman for Wakehurst said: “We have been planning our Glow Wild trail for many months, with the safety of our visitors being our first priority. Rigorous safety protocols include staggered and strictly managed entry, and we have carefully planned the limited number of allocations per time slot to help ensure a seamless flow of visitors, to ensure an exceptional experience for everyone - especially given the extra demands of social distancing.

“We are carefully reviewing and monitoring visitor flow and behaviour, so feedback such as these comments is really valuable in helping us tweak and evolve our processes.

“Our Glow Wild visitors play a big part in helping us to maintain a safe operation by following our clear onsite guidance, as well as government guidance on social distancing.

“We do regularly remind visitors to maintain social distancing through all of our channels including pre-arrival emails and signage at the gates.

“Our Glow Wild stewards patrol the trail and will step in if they see anything unsafe, as indicated in the final Trip Advisor review.

“We’re paying extra close attention to the area around the Mansion Pond, as this is a popular photo-spot, so visitors may be held for a few minutes before this area to ensure it doesn’t get too clustered.”