Gardens of Yorkshire and Northumberland

Stone Cottage

In the lovely Yorkshire Dales are ruined abbeys and stately mansions with beautiful gardens. In particular, the classical eighteenth century landscaped water gardens of Studley Royal adjoins the ruins of Fountains Abbey, and every variety of garden and planting, grace Newby Hall, near Ripon. In the heart of Wharfedale is the scenic garden of Parcival Hall and near Harrogate, the Northern Horticultural Society's extensive Harlow Carr Botanical Gardens. We also visit a number of smaller but equally characterful gardens like the Hollies which has the national collection of Philadelphus and the late Sybil Spencer's renowned garden, York Gate.

For the first three nights, the tour stays near Harrogate and on the fourth day we move North to the fourteenth century castle ruins, formal gardens and planted quarries of Belsay Hall in Northumberland and the nearby, charming walled garden and lakes of Wallington. That night we stay at the old stone farmhouse of Shield Hall where gourmet dinners are served. Returning through Derbyshire, we visit the impressive herb and walled gardens of Hardwick Hall built by Bess, Countess of Shrewsbury, in the sixteenth century.

Click here for a F L O R A traveller's diary of a tour including Yorkshire gardens.