The temperatures have risen across the Harrogate district this week and that summer feeling has well and truly kicked in.
And what better time than to enjoy some of the stunning flora and fauna that our area has to offer.
There are lots of gorgeous gardens to explore over the next few months as part of the National Garden Scheme.
The initiative gives visitors unique access to over 3,500 exceptional private gardens in the UK and raises impressive amounts of money for nursing and health charities. The scheme also promotes the physical and mental health benefits of gardens.
We have put together a list of the participating gardens in our district from now until August:
Birstwith Hall, Birstwith
When: Sunday, June 19, 2pm-5pm
Admission: Adults £5, children go free
About: A charming and varied four-acre garden nestling in a secluded Yorkshire dale.
A formal garden and ornamental orchard, as well as extensive lawns leading to a picturesque stream and a large pond. There is also a walled garden and Victorian greenhouse.
The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
Yorke House and White Rose Cottage, Dacre Banks
When: Sunday, June 26, 11am-5pm
Admission: Adults £5, children go free
About: An award-winning English country garden in the heart of Nidderdale.
A series of distinct areas flowing through two acres of ornamental garden. There are also colour-themed borders, as well as a natural pond and stream with delightful waterside plantings. Secluded seating areas and attractive views.
The adjacent cottage has a recently developed garden designed for wheelchair access. There is a large collection of hostas and an orchard picnic area.
The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
Prospect House, Burton Leonard
When: Friday, June 24, 1-.30am-2pm
Admission: Adults £35, children go free
Booking: A limited number of tickets have been made available for this special event. Tickets must be booked in advance here
About: Following a welcome by the owner, there will be talks on the development of the garden, the creation of a cutting garden and colour-themed borders plus demonstration of cut flower arrangements in the potting shed. Buffet lunch included.
Prospect House features a one-acre walled, landscaped garden with ornamental pond, pergola, large oval lawned area, cutting and vegetable beds.
There is a colour-themed herbaceous long border, ‘hot’ borders, and a physic bed. There is also mature hedging, trees and seasonal interest throughout. Additional new planting areas are being established.
A renovated outhouse has been converted into a potting area used for garden workshops.
The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
Cobble Cottage, Whixley
When: Sunday, July 3,11pm-5pm
Admission: Adults £4, children go free
About: An imaginatively designed, constantly changing, small cottage garden full of decorative architectural plants and old family favourites.
There is an Interesting water garden, containers and use of natural materials. It also features a black and white courtyard garden and Japanese-style garden with growing willow screen.
The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
Group openings – gardens that open on the same day
Grafton gardens, Marton-cum-Grafton
Well House.
When: Sunday, July 3,11am-5pm
Admission: Adults £6, children go free
About: These two gardens in adjacent rural villages are also connected by a public footpath.
Paddock House is on an elevated site with extensive views down a large sloping lawn to a wildlife pond. A plant lover’s garden where the house is encircled by a profusion of pots and extensive plant collections combining cottage gardening with the Mediterranean and Tropical. A curved terrace of Yorkshire stone and steps using gravel and wood sleepers leads to many seating areas culminating in a cutting garden and small greenhouse.
Well House, in Grafton, nestles under the hillside, with long views to the White Horse. This one-and-a-half acre garden was begun 40 years ago and is constantly changing. A traditional English cottage garden with herbaceous borders, climbing roses and ornamental shrubs with a variety of interesting species. Paths meander through the borders to an orchard with ducks. Refreshments are available at The Punch Bowl pub, a five-minute walk from Well House.
Dacre Banks and Summerbridge Gardens
Woodlands Cottage.
When: Sunday, July 10,12pm-5pm
Admission: Adults £10, children go free
About: Dacre Banks and Summerbridge Gardens are situated in the beautiful countryside of Nidderdale and designed to take advantage of the scenic Dales landscape.
The gardens are linked by attractive walks along the valley, but each may be accessed individually by car.
Low Hall has a romantic walled garden set on different levels around the historic C17 family home (not open) with herbaceous borders, shrubs, climbing roses and a tranquil water garden. The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
Riverside House is an atmospheric waterside garden on many levels, supporting shade-loving plants and features a Victorian folly, fernery, courtyard and naturalistic riverside plantings. The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
Woodlands Cottage is a garden of many rooms, with exquisite formal and informal plantings, and an attractive wildflower meadow which harmonises with mature woodland. The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
Yorke House has extensive colour-themed borders and water features with beautiful waterside plantings. The newly developed garden at White Rose Cottage is specifically designed for wheelchair users. The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
Read more:
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The Priory, Nun Monkton
When: Thursday, July 7,11pm-5pm
Admission: Adults £6, children go free
About: A large country garden surrounding William and Mary house (not open), at the confluence of the River Nidd and River Ouse.
It features species trees, calm swathes of lawn, clipped yew, beech and box, formal rose garden and mixed borders.
There is a new area of soft perennial planting and informal parkland. There area also kitchen gardens with a greenhouse and swimming pool where teas will be served.
The Nun Monkton Ferryboat will be running a special service on this day, connecting Nun Monkton with Beningbrough and Moor Monkton, from the riverbank next to The Priory.
Markenfield Hall, Ripon
When: Tuesday, July 12, 2pm-3pm
Admission: Adults £5, children go free
Booking: By guided tour only (max 10 people). Tickets must be booked in advance here
About: The work of the hall’s owner Lady Deirdre Curteis and gardener Giles Gilbey.
Mature planting combines with newly designed areas, where walls with espaliered apricots and figs frame a mix of hardy perennials.
In 2018 the farmhouse border was replanted to eventually blend seamlessly with the hall’s main east border.
Goldsborough Hall, Goldsborough
When: Sunday, July 24, 11pm-5pm
Admission: Adults £5, children go free
About: An historic 12-acre garden and formal landscaped grounds in parkland setting around Grade II*, 17th-century house, which was the former residence of HRH Princess Mary, daughter of George V and Queen Mary.
Goldsborough Hall boasts Gertrude Jekyll inspired 120ft double herbaceous borders, a rose garden and a woodland walk.
There is a large restored kitchen garden and glasshouse which produces fruit and vegetables for the hall’s commercial kitchens.
Greencroft, Littlethorpe, Ripon
When: Sunday, August 7, 12pm-4pm
Admission: Adults £5, children go free
About: A half-acre informal country garden created by the owners. It features long herbaceous borders packed with colourful late summer perennials, annuals and exotics culminating in a circular garden with views through to large wildlife pond and surrounding countryside.
Special ornamental features include a gazebo, temple pavilions, formal pool, stone wall with mullions and gate to pergola and cascade water feature.
The gardens can also be visited by arrangement.
Ripon Cathedral to hold memorial service for famous TV dramatistA memorial service will be held at Ripon Cathedral at 3pm on Tuesday for playwright and TV dramatist Ian Curteis, whose play about the 1982 Falklands conflict was at the centre of a BBC controversy.
Mr Curteis, who in 2001 married Lady Deirdre Hare, widow of the 7th Baron Grantley of Markenfield Hall, spent the latter years of his life focused on the conservation and restoration of the medieval building, which has been the Grantley family seat since the 13th Century. He died in November.
In 2008, he and Lady Deirdre, who described the moated hall as ‘the loveliest place you’ve never heard of’ won the first annual restoration award sponsored by Sotheby’s and the Historic Houses Association.
Better known to people who followed Mr Curteis’ writing rather than restoration activities, was his work on the BBC blockbuster drama series, The Onedin Line, for which he was commissioned to write a number of episodes.
Markenfield Hall.
His innovative approach saw him pioneer a new drama-documentary format for his play on the 1956 Suez crisis, broadcast by the BBC in 1979.
Mr Curteis used the same drama-documentary approach for a play about the Falklands War commissioned by the then BBC director-general Alasdair Milne in April 1983 — just a year after the conflict had started.
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However, The Falklands Play, which was for many years at the centre of a controversy involving claims of political bias and attempted censorship, was finally broadcast on BBC Four after a number of re-writes in April 2002.
In a less controversial arena, Mr Curteis wrote an adaptation of JB Priestley’s last novel Lost Empires for ITV and also adapted for broadcast by the BBC The Choir , a novel written by Joanna Trollope.
The author Lady Antonia Fraser will discuss her latest book’s Ripon connections in this year’s Markenfield Hall lecture series.
The hall, near Ripon, has held lectures since 2013 to raise funds for restoration work.
Past speakers include the writers Phillippa Gregory, Diane Atkinson, Julian Fellowes, Leanda de Lisle and Anne de Courcy.
Lady Antonia, who headlines this year’s series, will talk about her book The Case of the Married Woman, which is due out next month.
The book portrays the Victorian women’s rights activist Caroline Norton, whose descendant Lord Grantley owns Markenfield Hall.
Lord Grantley and Lady Antonia will talk about Norton’s life, as well as how the Markenfield archives were used as a source for the book.
The lecture will take place online on May 12.
Read more:
- Council hopes to reopen Ripon and Starbeck Baths next month
- Tribute to Ripon’s deputy mayor for 20 years’ service to the city
Until last year, lectures were held in the drawing room at Markenfield Hall, which can seat about 50 people.
This year’s planned online events also feature the author Alexander McCall Smith, the writer A N Wilson and the Guardian journalist Madeleine Bunting.
Lord Grantley’s mother, Lady Deirdre, lives at the hall with her husband Ian Curteis, the former TV director.
The programme for 2021 is available here.