TRACY KIDD
You can visit these northern gardens at any time of the spring, summer or autumn but the optimum time is mid- to late-summer when the herbaceous borders will be in full swing. We recommend a stay at Middleton Lodge in North Yorkshire, a fabulous 200-acre estate where a series of stone outbuildings have been beautifully restored to create 30 individually designed rooms. Stay in the old potting shed, the dairy or a romantic shepherd’s hut in the orchard. Exploring the walled garden here is a must too, as it was redesigned by Tom Stuart-Smith in 2014, so leave plenty of time to do this before heading out to see a cluster of other gardens in the area.
Day 1: Raby Castle, Darlington
A 40-minute drive north from Middleton Lodge, the gardens at Raby Castle have recently been restored and you could easily spend a whole day here with lunch in the Vinery cafe and time to browse in the lovely Coach House shop. The five-acre Walled Garden was redesigned by Luciano Giubbilei and by the summer of 2025 its productive garden, woodland planting and herbaceous borders will be well-established around a spectacular grass amphitheatre. Yorkshire garden designer Alistair Baldwin has also designed areas around several characterful historic buildings on the estate. Don’t miss a tour round the historic 14th-century castle, open from March-October, Wednesday-Sunday. The gardens are open daily throughout the year, 10am-4pm.
Day 2: Scampston Hall, Malton and Newby Hall, Ripon
Scampston Hall is an hour and a half’s drive from Middleton Lodge but entirely worth an early start. Designed by Piet Oudolf in 2005, the Walled Garden at Scampston is modern in feel with contrasting garden rooms including the perennial meadow, silent garden with yew pillars, and the grass garden with sinuous drifts of molinia grasses. In late summer the garden is spectacular, the naturalistic perennials and grasses at their very best. The garden and cafe are open Wednesday to Sunday plus Bank Holiday Mondays, from the end of March to the end of October, 10am-5pm.
On the way back to Middleton Lodge, you could make a brief stop at Thirsk Hall Sculpture Garden, where a spectacular array of modern and contemporary outdoor sculpture is displayed in the 20 acre park. Then head to Newby Hall near Ripon. This well-known garden was designed in the 1920s by Edward Compton. Its spectacular double herbaceous border was replanted between 2013 and 2015 and at 172m long, is one of the longest herbaceous borders in Britain. The garden also has a growing collection of late-flowering salvias which start to flower in late summer. Open daily from the beginning of April to the end of September, 11am-5.30pm.
Day 3: York Gate Gardens near Leeds and Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens, York
Head south to York Gate Gardens on the outskirts of Leeds, where you will find a magical and beautifully tended one-acre garden. Owned in trust by the charity Perennial, the garden was created in the second half of the 20th century and has an Arts & Crafts feel with lots of small garden rooms to explore. Immaculate herbaceous borders are defined by structural topiary and old walls, and whatever time you visit, there is something to see.
Perhaps stop for lunch at the Ashtree Inn at Sherburn-in-Elmet before visiting the organically managed Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens and Nursery, which have been developed over 40 years by owners Vanessa and John Cook. With old fashioned cottage garden borders, meadows and a wildlife pond, the garden offers up many different areas for exploration. The nursery specialises in hardy geraniums and other perennials, most of which are grown in stock beds in the gardens, so you can see exactly what you are buying. The nursery and gardens are open from April 2 to the end of September, Wednesdays and Friday-Sunday, 1-5pm.
