Helmsley Walled Garden

Head Gardener's Comment

Set against the backdrop of Helmsley Castle, the towering walls surround 5 acres of beautiful gardens with unusual varieties of flowers, vegetables, herbs and 70 varieties of Heritage apples. The restored Victorian glasshouses house a cafe set amidst award winning Victorian vines. Restored by volunteers, the garden is a charity which provides horticultural therapy in order to address the needs of the disadvantaged within the community. There is a plant nursery and a shop selling locally produced goods and garden artefacts.

History

The garden is 250 years old. Originally created in order to grow produce for the Castle and then Duncombe Park, including the exotica of the times. The garden was abandoned in the 1970s and lovingly restored by volunteers from 1994, led by Alison Ticehurst, a nurse whose vision was to help the disadvanted by providing horticultural therapy.

Plants of Note

Heriage apple collection

British Clematis Societies national collection

34 Victorian indoor vines

Modern outdoor vines

Peony garden