






The Gardens Care Home is a single storey, well-appointed and very popular Care Home within the Coniscliffe Road area of Darlington. Set in the very peaceful Pondfield Close, they offer unparalleled Dementia, Nursing, and Residential care amidst a relaxing, leafy setting.
Residents at The Gardens Care Home enjoy first-class quality care within a homely and stimulating environment that places a real emphasis on their happiness and well-being. Staff at The...
Care Provided by The Gardens Care Home
Primary Care Categories
- Older Person Care
- Dementia
- Mental Health Condition
- Physical Disability
- Visual / Hearing Impairment
- Eating Disorders
- Alcohol / Drug Misuse
Length of Stay
- Permanent Care
- Respite Care
Care Types Provided
- Residential Care
- Nursing Care
- Dementia Nursing Care
- For a maximum of 56 Service Users
Dementia Care TypesMild Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "mild dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Memory problems such as misplacing items and not be able to recall recent events (however, in some forms of dementia a person's memory may be unchanged)
- Difficulties thinking through problems and planning, making decisions
- Language and communication issues such as finding it difficult to recall the appropriate word in a conversation or following a conversation
- Poor orientation, getting lost in areas previously familiar to them
- Difficulty judging distances (more falls than usual)
- Changes in their normal mood including anxiety and depression
- In certain types of dementia, personality and behaviour changes may be present alongside or instead of issues with memory or concentration.
Moderate Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "moderate dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Worsened memory problems. Not always recognising own family members and friends. Repeating the same questions over and over again
- Worsened language and communication issues, forgetting what they are saying mid-sentence. Not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- More frequent confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Advanced Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "severe dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Severe memory problems. Not recognising family members and friends. Not being able to recall their own name
- Severe language and communication issues, not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- Severe confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Verbally or physically aggressive behaviour
If your loved one displays this type of behaviour you may need a care home that has specially trained staff. Verbal/physical aggression is often defined:
- Consistent shouting and screaming
- Verbal abuse
- Physical abuse
How we define Dementia Care Types
Mild Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "mild dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Memory problems such as misplacing items and not be able to recall recent events (however, in some forms of dementia a person's memory may be unchanged)
- Difficulties thinking through problems and planning, making decisions
- Language and communication issues such as finding it difficult to recall the appropriate word in a conversation or following a conversation
- Poor orientation, getting lost in areas previously familiar to them
- Difficulty judging distances (more falls than usual)
- Changes in their normal mood including anxiety and depression
- In certain types of dementia, personality and behaviour changes may be present alongside or instead of issues with memory or concentration.
Moderate Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "moderate dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Worsened memory problems. Not always recognising own family members and friends. Repeating the same questions over and over again
- Worsened language and communication issues, forgetting what they are saying mid-sentence. Not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- More frequent confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Advanced Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "severe dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Severe memory problems. Not recognising family members and friends. Not being able to recall their own name
- Severe language and communication issues, not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- Severe confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Verbally or physically aggressive behaviour
If your loved one displays this type of behaviour you may need a care home that has specially trained staff. Verbal/physical aggression is often defined:
- Consistent shouting and screaming
- Verbal abuse
- Physical abuse
How we define Dementia Care Types
- Mild Dementia
- Moderate Dementia
- Advanced/Complex Dementia
Other Care Provided
- Parkinson's Disease
- Stroke
- Palliative / End of Life Care
- COPD/Pulmonary Disease
- Convalescent Care
- Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
- Day Care
Facilities
- Pet Friendly (or by arrangement)
- Smoking not permitted
- Near Public Transport
- Wheelchair Access
- Ground Floor Accommodation only
- Gardens
- Phone Point in own room
- Television point in own room
- Residents Internet Access
Funding & Fees
Weekly Charges per Person
Please note that The Gardens care home does not offer Residential Dementia care, and Nursing care is only available in The Blackwell Suite, our complex behaviours suite.
- Care coverage 24 hour 7 days per week, tailored to the needs of the Resident.
- All meals and drinks, including specialised diets.
- In-house laundry service.
- Bedding and towels.
- All activities organised to promote physical and mental wellbeing amongst Residents.
Additionally, Residents can request the following external services for an extra charge:
- Chiropody
- Vision and/or hearing visits
- Dedicated dentist
- Hairdressing
- Newspaper delivery
Please note that fees published are indicative only. Prices vary based on room sizes, views and ensuite facilities. Final fees to be charged are based on an assessment of the needs and preferences of every Prospective Resident at The Gardens and/or The Balckwell Suite.
The price(s) shown are provided by the care home. Contact The Gardens Care Home for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact The Gardens Care Home to confirm what's included and get a personalised quote:
Funding Types Accepted
- Self-Funding (Private)
- Local Authority with Top-up
- Local Authority
- NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC)
Support you may be entitled to
- If you chose a care home based in England, you may be eligible for NHS Funded Nursing Care (FNC), which helps cover the cost of nursing. This is worth £267.68 per week and is usually paid directly to the care home.
Good to Know
Group / Owner
- Ascot Care Ltd
- Private Owned
Person in charge
- Hannah McCurley (Care Home Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Ages 55+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: Yes
- Year Purpose Built: 1974
- Last Refurbishment: 2019
- Number of floors: 1
Room Information
- Single Rooms (56)
- Single Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (2)
Visiting
- Relatives are welcome at anytime, altough kindly ask that you aim to visit outside of protected meal times, which are 12:00-14:00 and 16:30-17:45 pm. Pet friendly home and welcome well-trained pet visitors with a little advanced notice. Prospective Residents can book a tour to be shown around, meet the team and have questions answered.
Parking
- Visitor parking is available to the side and rear of the home.
The Gardens Care Home Reviews (34)
The Gardens Care Home has a Review Score of 9.0 (9.031) out of 10, based on 9 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time The Gardens Care Home has 34 reviews.
The home itself is so welcoming and really feels like a home from home with very modern rooms and lovely conservatory areas and garden areas to sit in. And is very accessible, mostly having rooms on the ground floor. I rate it 5* in every respect.
My relative moved into The Gardens from another care home last year. It has proved to be the best thing that has happened. The staff are wonderful, friendly, keep you informed and above all, take everything in their stride, despite my relative's issues with dementia, they seem to be able to deal with anything. Highly recommended.
Having waited 8-months to find a suitable care home, The Gardens was chosen to accommodate my father! Having no previous connections to care homes or knowledge, I am really happy with the choice. The place is really nice, happy and well run! The staff on the Blackwell suite are amazing! I know my father will be looked after and happy.
My husband resides in the Blackwell suite at The Gardens care home, Darlington. This is the third home/hospital he has been in and he is very well settled, much more than other placements. The staff are excellent, very caring and attentive to the needs of residents and families. The home is very clean, the food is good, activities are well catered for and clients are encouraged to take part. I would have no concerns in recommending The suite to anyone. The staff have a difficult job but always have a smile and have an extremely helpful attitude to all. I am extremely happy with them.
My husband has been in this care home and I cannot speak too highly of the care he has had. The staff are extremely helpful, understanding and compassionate. It is not an easy job to do but I can only speak from experience, as I can visit anytime, being his main carer (at the moment) and have always found the staff extremely good, giving really good care. We are lucky that we have found this care home and very grateful.
My nana and grandad are currently in The Gardens. They are very well looked after here and the staff are fantastic. I can’t praise them highly enough, they always go above and beyond to make the residents happy. They have always done their best to keep spirits high in these awful times. The home is very clean. The food always looks very tasty. I would highly recommend the Gardens.
The Gardens care home is a joy to visit. The staff are always so welcoming. It is a happy home with lots of laughter. The care is of a high standard. The staff truly care for the residents. They are professional and caring and strive to provide a high quality of care. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. They provide a variety of activities which is important to stimulate and socialise residents I would highly recommend the Gardens care home.
I visited my Aunt in the home. The staff were very helpful and accommodating. It was upsetting seeing my aunt in the home. The staff made my aunt feel welcome and extended the family. Nothing is too much to ask, very helpful in both our needs and my aunt's. One member of staff, especially, goes the extra mile and personally texts us with the latest info about my aunt as I am not able to visit my aunt, due to work. Thank you very much.
The staff are always friendly and helpful when I call. They constantly keep me up to date with my aunt's care. If she is not well they will call me and tell me what they are doing to help her and whether they have arranged for a visit by the matron, doctor or dentist. The staff are well trained to identify any issues and on a couple of occasions, they have been swift to call an ambulance for her when needed. The staff are very respectful to my aunt and take the time to listen to her. The care home has a daily programme of activities to keep the residents entertained and active.
I've always seen great care and support from all the staff and management. Very friendly atmosphere. The staff and management keep me informed of all treatments and needs required. I would strongly recommend The Gardens care home to all my friends and family.
Thank you for your kind words, it's a pleasure to care for your mum. It's wonderful to hear how happy you are with the service. Thank you.
My father has only been in this care home for nearly 4 weeks and he is so happy there! He came out of hospital and then went there for 24-hour care. I worried that on my first visit to him, that he would be adamant that he wanted to come home! I was so happy that he has settled so quickly into his spacious room and was being attended to well by the staff. He lived on his own for many years and it’s lovely to see that they have managed to integrate him well with the other residents and he is taking part in activities. I am informed every time that he is prescribed a new medicine and given a well-being check. I have to give special mention to one member of staff, in particular, who has definitely got my dad's health and well being at heart. On my last visit, he actually said to me “I’m staying here”! He must have thought that I was taking him back home. I could not have had a better reassurance that he was happy there and I went away buzzing! Well done to The Gardens and thank you.
Thank you for your kind words. It is such a pleasure to look after your father, as he has settled into the Gardens family wonderfully.
My mum was in The Gardens for about 4 months and I think she was as happy as she could be there. However, to have a phone call to tell me that my mum had died in such an uncaring, brisk way, unacceptable. After travelling 250 miles to get to Darlington, to then have my mum's thing passed out the front door with no words of comfort or sympathy is totally unacceptable. To then have to ask for my mum's jewellery, totally unacceptable. My mum may have been well looked after but my lasting impression of the place my mum spent her final days in, will be one of coldness and total disinterest. Thank goodness my dad died at the Memorial Hospital. The staff there were amazingly kind and caring and I will never, ever forget that. The questions underneath are very difficult to answer as neither I or my sister managed to get into the home to physically see my mum because of Covid so my review is based on what I saw through a window and the conversations I had with my mum through a window.
Thank you for your review Nichola. I'm sorry to hear that you had a less than satisfactory experience at one of our homes. I will personally contact you within the next 24 hours to discuss the concerns you have raised.
We knew mum didn’t have long to live and the speed at how quickly she had deteriorated from cancer distressed her yet she visibly relaxed from the minute she arrived in the bright, cheery room. She was placed on half-hourly observation from the beginning. The staff were super with her, and their sense of humour was really appreciated by mum and by us. Mum was a private, quiet lady, but they did their best to maintain her dignity right to the end. My brother and I spent a week by Mum’s bedside, and even though they were very busy, they went out of their way to support us too with a chat and many cups of tea. Two particular care workers were a real source of strength for Mum (and us) in her final hours.
Ascot Care would like to thank you for your kind words following your recent positive experience at our Gardens Care Home.
He spent his last weeks in comfort and tranquillity, listening to his favourite classical music on the radio.
Every member of the team was lovely with him, nothing was too much trouble.
My family will be eternally grateful for the care and respect we were shown.
Thank you for your kind words. It is so important for us to hear that we are supporting people at such difficult times. It was an absolute pleasure to look at your father, who was such a lovely person even though we only knew him for a short while.
Regulatory Rating
Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating
Date: 12 November 2024Requires improvement
- CaringGood
- EffectiveGood
- ResponsiveGood
- SafeRequires improvement
- Well-ledRequires improvement
Inspection ratings
We rate most services according to how safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led they are, using four levels:
- Outstanding - The service is performing exceptionally well.
- Good - The service is performing well and meeting our expectations.
- Requires Improvement - The service isn't performing as well as it should and we have told the service how it must improve.
- Inadequate - The service is performing badly and we've taken action against the person or organisation that runs it.
- Not rated - we have not yet rated this area of the service, this is normally because the assessments we have carried out have been focused on other key questions.
Bed Vacancies
Bed Vacancies
Posted: 27 July 2026For more information on the specific beds available, please contact the care home directly.
News (0) & Events (0)
There are no news items for The Gardens Care Home.
There are no upcoming events for The Gardens Care Home.
Awards / Recognitions (0)
There are currently no awards/recognitions posted yet for The Gardens Care Home.
Accreditations
There are no accreditations posted yet for The Gardens Care Home.
Meet the Team (2)

Hannah joined Ascot care in 2025, as Care Home Manager for The Gardens care home and The Blackwell Suite, our nurse-led unit specialised in complex behaviours.

Kirsty joined Ascot Care in 2013 as a Care Assistant at The Gardens. Since then, she has been promoted to Team Leader in 2014, Senior Carer in 2017, and Deputy Manager in early 2025.
She has an NVQ Level 3 in Health and Social Care, and a CACHE Diploma Level 3.
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