MONDAY 22ND – FRIDAY 26TH JUNE
We will be based at the Corn Mill Hotel about 2.5 miles from Leeds city centre for 5 days from Monday 22 June to Friday 26 June
Monday Our 1st visit after the drive up to Yorkshire will be to the great mansion of Harewood House. The gardens feature a parterre, broad herbaceous borders and an old walled garden. In the famous Bird Garden, plants are laid out in geographical zones and there is a modern garden by David Hicks.
Tuesday Our morning visit is to Studley Royal Water gardens and Fountains Abbey (NT). This is a World Heritage Site and probably the finest water gardens in the world with lakes, canals and other water features set amongst fine trees and sweeping lawns. The park is in dramatic relationship with Fountains Abbey the most romantic monastic ruins in Christendom. In the afternoon we visit Newby Hall said to be the finest house in Yorkshire. The 25 acre gardens were mostly laid out after 1921 and boast a pair of grand herbaceous borders more than 200 metres long running down to the River Ure. There are a series of enclosed gardens with different themes, a rose garden and an enormous rock garden. Plant sales.
Wednesday We go first to Parcevall Hall which is the only garden regularly open to the public within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Set in a side valley off Wharfedale, the 24 acre gardens occupy a dramatic position on a hillside with beautiful views of the surrounding hills. There is a hardy fuchsia border, a white border and a newly planted orchard flanking a red border. An outstanding feature is a magnificuent rock garden exposing the natural bedrock of the garden. Our afternoon visit is to Constable Burton Hall near Leyburn in Wensleydale. The palladian mansion is set in a walled and wooded parkland and there is a terraced woodland garden with lilies, ferns, roses and wild flowers dropping down to a lake. Near the entrance an 8 acre garden features masses of turk’s cap lilies with many climbers and ground cover plants. The herbaceous garden has several grand borders.
Thursday In the morning we go to the RHS garden at Harlow Carr.This was acquired from the Northern Horticultural Society in 2001 and although smaller than Wisley with 58 acres, it more than holds its own in position and diversity. In particular the beautifully planted streamside garden criss-crossed by packhorse bridges is an object lesson. There are many display gardens including a rock garden and a shrub rose walk. For the BBC series “Gardens Through Time” 7 show gardens were produced in 2004. There is now a Betty’s Tea Room as well as plant sales. In the afternoon we go into Harrogate where we have free time perhaps to look at the famous Valley Gardens and to take tea at Betty’s!
Friday On our way home we first visit Nostell Priory (NT) an 18th century house set in open parkland with an attractive lake. There is a fine rose garden and extensive lakeside planting in a 45 acre garden . In the afternoon we visit Wentworth Castle near Barnsley. This is owned by the Council but closed suddenly because of financial pressures. It has now reopened under the management of the National Trust. The 60 acre garden is considered to be one of the finest in Yorkshire with a walled garden, a Union Jack garden, a Victorian garden and a long serpentine lake.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE EMAIL: glosorgg@gmail.com