Outings

The gardens in derelict state in 1990s

Helmsley Walled Garden History

It is hard to imagine the former state of the above garden, but it was this lady Alison Ticehurst who started the restoration we see today, turning a derelict market garden venture into a beautiful and productive garden from the 1990's.  There are many apple trees in the lower part of the garden, old Yorkshire names and old varieties jostle against each other, the apples are very prolific, no one has thinned them in the early part of summer, and they cluster like bunches of berries on the trees.

It seems a communal act of dedication to run the gardens, there is a small staff supplemented by volunteers.  The cafe has delicious looking cakes, we only sampled the scone and homemade jam, as did a few passing wasps, but insect life, especially bees are prolific in the garden.

Garden produce is sold, as are plants by the cafe, they go to an important part of the aims of the garden which is to use them for horticultural therapy of people dispossessed of life's bounty, in other words people who are miserable....

This is Alison Ticehurst garden's created by her mother. Alison died in 1999, five years after starting the project

After the gardens we went in search of Nunnington Hall, LS had followed a route (on Google) and swore we could get to it through the country lanes.  We did not. But arrived eventually, not going in, another day out, but it is very imposing, set by the river.