RHS Garden Harlow Carr

Last updated

RHS Garden Harlow Carr
Harlow Carr Entrance.jpg
The entrance to Harlow Carr Gardens
North Yorkshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in North Yorkshire
TypeGarden
LocationCrag Lane, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
OS grid SE2754
Coordinates 53°58′56″N1°34′21″W / 53.98222°N 1.57250°W / 53.98222; -1.57250 Coordinates: 53°58′56″N1°34′21″W / 53.98222°N 1.57250°W / 53.98222; -1.57250
Area23.4 hectares (58 acres)
Created1946 (1946)
Founder Northern Horticultural Society
Operated by Royal Horticultural Society
Visitors446,730 (2019) [1]

RHS Garden Harlow Carr is one of five public gardens run by the Royal Horticultural Society. It is located on the western edge of Harrogate in the English county of North Yorkshire.

Contents

The RHS acquired Harlow Carr through its merger with the Northern Horticultural Society in 2001. It had been the Northern Horticultural Society's trial ground and display garden since they bought it in 1946.

Location

The garden is situated on Crag Lane, off Otley Road (B6162) about a mile and a half from the centre of Harrogate. [2]

Features

Harlow Carr has:

It also has a shop, plant centre and [2] Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms. [3]

History

Harlow Carr gardens Harlow Carr.jpg
Harlow Carr gardens

Springs of sulphur water were discovered on the site in the 18th century but development of the site as a spa did not take place for over a hundred years. In 1840, the owner of the estate, Henry Wright, cleaned out and protected one of the wells and four years later built a hotel and a bath house. [4] People were charged two shillings and six pence (nominally 1212 p but about £12.00 at current prices) to bathe in the warm waters.[ citation needed ] The gardens were laid out around the bath house and in 1861 the site at Harlow Carr springs was described as:

a sweet secluded spot ... the grounds neatly laid out, adorned with a selection of trees, shrubs, flowers, walks, easy seats and shady arbours.[ citation needed ]

The hotel later became the Harrogate Arms but closed in 2013.

The Northern Horticultural Society was founded in 1946 with the objective of:

promoting and developing the science, art and practice of horticulture with special reference to the conditions pertaining to the North of England.

The society leased 10.5 hectares (26 acres) of mixed woodland, pasture and arable land at Harlow Hill from the Harrogate Corporation and it opened the Harlow Carr Botanical Gardens in 1950. [4] The chief aim of the venture was to set up a trial ground where the suitability of plants for growing in northern climates could be assessed. The original area has been extended to 23.4 ha (58 acres). [4]

The bath house was converted in 1958 to contain the library and study centre. More recently it has been used as an exhibition space for arts and crafts. The six well heads in front of the bath house have been capped off but remain beneath the present Limestone Rock Garden. At times there is a smell of sulphur in this area. [2]

A new learning centre was built in 2010 containing classrooms for school visits and adult learning courses, and the library. The latter holds a range of gardening-related books, periodicals and DVDs which can be loaned to RHS members and accessed by any garden visitor. [5]

In 2014 the Harrogate Arms and the land surrounding it was acquired by the RHS with plans progressing to restore the building, create new gardens around it and reintroduce its links with the old bath house.[ citation needed ]

In 2021 the new Thaliana Bridge was installed across the Queen Mother's Lake with the design representing the sequence of an Arabidopsis thaliana chromosome. This was inspired by the work of the botanical scientist Rachel Leech. [6]

Geoffrey Smith, writer and broadcaster, was Superintendent of Harlow Carr from 1954 to 1974.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Horticultural Society</span> Registered charity in the UK

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrogate</span> Town in North Yorkshire, England

Harrogate is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters and RHS Harlow Carr gardens. 13 miles (21 km) away from the town centre is the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Nidderdale AONB. Harrogate grew out of two smaller settlements, High Harrogate and Low Harrogate, in the 17th century. For three consecutive years (2013–2015), polls voted the town as "the happiest place to live" in Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RHS Garden Wisley</span> Public garden in Surrey, England

RHS Garden Wisley is a garden run by the Royal Horticultural Society in Wisley, Surrey, south of London. It is one of five gardens run by the society, the others being Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall, Rosemoor, and Bridgewater. Wisley is the second most visited paid entry garden in the United Kingdom after the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, with 1,232,772 visitors in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Gilbert Baker</span> British botanist (1834–1920)

John Gilbert Baker was an English botanist. His son was the botanist Edmund Gilbert Baker (1864–1949).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate</span> Family business based in Yorkshire, England

Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate, also known as Bettys and Taylors Group Limited, is a family company based in Yorkshire, England. The company's brands are Bettys, Taylors of Harrogate, and Yorkshire Tea. Bettys Café Tea Rooms are traditional tea rooms serving traditional meals with influences from both Switzerland and Yorkshire. Taylors of Harrogate was a family tea and coffee merchant company, founded in 1886, which blended Yorkshire Tea and Taylors of Harrogate Coffee; the owners of Bettys acquired Taylors in 1962. The chairman of the company is Clare Morrow, a former journalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andromeda Botanic Gardens</span> Botanical garden in St Joseph, Barbados

Andromeda Botanic Gardens is an 8-acre (3.2 ha) botanical garden and a historic cultural attraction in the village of Bathsheba, Saint Joseph in Barbados. It is an authentic garden created by multiple award-winning horticulturalist Iris Bannochie, a female, Barbadian, self-taught scientist. It is unique, having been created from the 1950s as both a private botanical garden and a pleasure garden by an individual. Named from the Greek mythological figure of Andromeda it started as a private plant collection around Ms Bannochie's home, who was also the leading expert on horticulture on the island. Ms Bannochie wrote various academic papers from topics including the lifecycle of the whistling frog, and the vitamin C content of the Barbadian cherry. She was a mentor to many and considered the queen of Barbadian horticulture. At one point, she was responsible for introducing over 90% of the ornamental plants found in Barbados. Iris Bannochie created the garden from 1954 on land owned by her family since 1740. During the 1950s Barbados was a plantation economy with no history of garden creation. Iris Bannochie travelled the world and collected plants for Andromeda. She showed plants from Andromeda both independently and with the Barbados Horticultural Society many times at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London, winning numerous medals. In 1982, Ms Bannochie's display was titled Andromeda Gardens at the Show and her exhibition of palms was the largest selection of that plant family ever seen at the Chelsea Flower Show. She was also the recipient of the RHS Veitch Medal and a fellow of the Linnean Society. In 1990, the garden had 40,000 visitors.

<i>Ulmus</i> Regal Elm cultivar

Ulmus 'Regal' is an American hybrid elm cultivar developed by the University of Wisconsin–Madison and released in 1983. 'Regal' was derived from seeds arising from the crossing of the Dutch hybrid clones 'Commelin' and '215' sent in 1960 by Hans M. Heybroek of the Dorschkamp Research Institute for Forestry & Landscape Planning, Wageningen, Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RHS Garden Hyde Hall</span> Public garden in Essex, England

RHS Garden Hyde Hall is a public display garden run by the Royal Horticultural Society in the English county of Essex. It is one of five public gardens run by the society, alongside Wisley in Surrey, Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire, Rosemoor in Devon, and Bridgewater in Greater Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RHS Garden Rosemoor</span> Public garden in Devon, England

RHS Garden Rosemoor is a public display garden run by the Royal Horticultural Society in north Devon, England.

<i>Symphyotrichum lateriflorum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to central and eastern North America

Symphyotrichum lateriflorum is a species of flowering plant in the aster family (Asteraceae). Commonly known as calico aster, starved aster, and white woodland aster, it is native to eastern and central North America. It is a perennial and herbaceous plant that may reach heights up to 120 centimeters and widths up to 30 centimeters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hadlow College</span> FE and HE college in Kent, UK

Hadlow College is a further and higher education college in Hadlow, Kent, England, with a satellite site in Greenwich. The curriculum primarily covers land-based subjects including Agriculture, Horticulture, Conservation and Wildlife Management, Animal Management, Fisheries Management, Equine Studies and Floristry. Additionally, intermediate and advanced apprenticeships are offered in Golf Greenkeeping, Sports Turf, Agriculture, Horticulture and Land-based Engineering.

Geoffrey Denis Smith was a professional gardener, broadcaster, writer and lecturer. He was the presenter of Gardeners World from 1980 to 1982 and a number of other BBC series in the early 80s including Geoffrey Smith's World of Flowers, Mr Smith’s Flower Garden, Mr Smith's Favourite Garden and Mr Smith’s Indoor Garden all of which were accompanied by books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veitch Memorial Medal</span> International prize issued annually by the Royal Horticultural Society

The Veitch Memorial Medal is an international prize issued annually by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

The National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS) is a society of flower arranging clubs and societies in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Pump Room, Harrogate</span> Local museum in North Yorkshire, England

The Royal Pump Room is a Grade II* listed building in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. Today it houses the town's museum – operated by Harrogate Borough Council. It was formerly a spa water pump house. It is located in Crown Place in the western part of Harrogate town centre, opposite the town's Valley Gardens park. It is bounded by two streets, Crescent Road and Royal Parade. Today, the Pump Room consists of both the original 1842 stone rotunda and a glazed annexe which was opened in 1913. The Pump Room offered guests of the town an all weather facility where they could drink sulphur water which was pumped on site from a natural spring known as the Old Sulphur Well. The building also had a social element to it as it provided guests with a place to meet friends and get to know others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindley Library</span> UK horticultural library

The Lindley Library in London is the largest horticultural library in the world. It is within the headquarters of the Royal Horticultural Society,

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worsley New Hall</span> Former mansion and gardens now the site of RHS Garden Bridgewater

Worsley New Hall is a former mansion and gardens by the Bridgewater Canal in Worsley, Greater Manchester, England, 8 miles (13 km) west of Manchester. The gardens were renovated by the Royal Horticultural Society and opened as RHS Garden Bridgewater in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RHS Garden Bridgewater</span> Public garden in Greater Manchester, England

RHS Garden Bridgewater is the Royal Horticultural Society's fifth public display garden. It is located in the village of Worsley in Salford, Greater Manchester, England.

Matthew Wilson is a garden designer, writer, radio and television broadcaster and lecturer. He is a regular participant on Gardener's Question Time on BBC Radio 4.

References

  1. "ALVA - Association of Leading Visitor Attractions". www.alva.org.uk. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Plan your visit". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  3. "Bettys at RHS Garden Harlow Carr". Bettys Online. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 "The story of RHS Garden Harlow Carr". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  5. "Visit the Library at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, North Yorkshire" . Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  6. "Genome research inspires new bridge at Harlow Carr". The Garden (September 2021): 97. 2021.