Parks and Gardens In the North Of England

Travel Blog

As you move further and further away from London and the bustle in the south, and head to the North of England, the parks and gardens get even more spectacular than you’d think. Plan your day and see some beautiful landscapes and well crafted gardens.

Nestled in Belsay, Northumberland, just 14 miles from Newcastle city centre is Belsay Castle which features a mighty 30 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds and gardens. Both the quarry gardens and the Cragwood Walk are two special features of the gardens. Sir Charles Monck built the present Belsay Castle hall and noticed the potential within the stone quarries so introduced an array of rare specimens into them to create a garden full of beauty. To get to the beautiful gardens nestled around Belsay castle book your train tickets to Morpeth which is only 10 miles from the castle grounds.

A mere 14 miles from York city centre sits Castle Howard in the North Yorkshire countryside which is one of Yorkshire’s finest stately homes, with historic and beautiful gardens. The 18th century palace is surrounded by 1,000 acres of landscaped gardens which you can explore full of extensive woodland walks, lakes, fountains, and breathtaking views throughout. Part of the garden is walled off and transformed into a garden of roses with over 400 old roses, which is dedicated to the memory of Lady Cecilia Howard. You can reach the castle from pretty much anywhere in the UK by getting a rail from York to Malton in just 24 minutes. You can even make a day trip from London, with trains taking only two hours to get to York.

10 miles north of Harrogate in North Yorkshire sits Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden which developed from its humble beginnings as a magnificent abbey which was established by monks. The green lawns of the abbey stretch down the riverside which makes for the perfect spot for a picnic. The Royal Water Garden is one of the best surviving examples of a Georgian water garden, and the garden is full of tranquil ornamental lakes, temples and dramatic eye-catching vistas. If you visit in autumn the colours of the garden are warming and opulent, perfect for a romantic walk. Hop on a train to Harrogate from Leeds or York which if you book your rail tickets in advance isn’t much more expensive than the bus from York!

Located in the heart of Chester is the Chester Zoo which is not just famous for its animals, but is also home to award-winning gardens which are maintained by the zoos horticulture and botany team. Over the past few years a number of new features have been introduced including a secluded Sunken Garden, a Roman Garden, a Rock Garden, Plant Paradise which has two of our nursery greenhouses, a collection of prickly cacti and much more. Alongside the gardens themselves the keepers like to produce natural looking environments for the animals so the beautiful scenery isn’t just restricted to the gardens.

As you can see there are lots of choices of beautiful gardens in the North of England. Let us know where you’ve been and what you’d recommend.

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