The gardens at Beningbrough Hall

A labour of love

RHS partner garden

We are delighted that Beningbrough is an RHS partner gardens. RHS members can visit for free Tuesdays to Fridays from 1 March until 31 October. Please bring your membership card on the day as we are unable to verify memberships directly with the RHS.

The Pergola

The second exciting and most significant development yet for Beningbrough’s garden transformation was completed in spring 2018 with the planting of the new Pergola. The Wisteria 'Alba' is in its infancy now, but holds all the promise for this tranquil area of the gardens, growing over oak beams and underplanted with bulbs, flowering shrubs and topiary. One year on, the changing colours make for an eye-catching stroll.

The 300,000 bulbs planted along the ha-ha walk in autumn 2016 were the first changes introduced as part of award winning garden designer Andy Sturgeon's garden vision for Beningbrough. Explore more about who this award winning designer is, his plans for Beningbrough and how the garden is evolving year by year...

Double herbaceous border

The heady scent of mock orange fills the air along the pathway through this part of the garden, at its best in early summer. Pastel colours prevail in swathes of perennials including geraniums, peonies and wisteria growing up obelisk frames.

A little piece of Italy

Beningbrough was built in 1716 by John Bourchier following his Grand Tour around Europe and was particularly inspired by his stay in Italy. The Italian border is filled in high summer with colourful Mediterranean blooms suited to hot climates and periods of drought but still able to withstand the Yorkshire climate. One of the next major phases in the garden's developments will be to tranform this whole area into the Mediterranean garden with planting over the entire area, not just the borders, a new water feature and pathways to get in among the garden. Work has started and will continue through 2020. See how it's progressing on a visit. 

Bulbs, blossom and blooms

Often described as a garden for all seasons, the changes throughout the year can be tracked with a different area looking at its best. Winter structure makes way for the first shoots and bulbs. Falling blossom petals create carpets of colour and borders fill with summer blooms turning in time to autumn seed heads.

Step along the ha-ha walk in late winter and early spring

In 2016 visitors helped to mark Beningbrough's 300th birthday by planting 300,000 bulbs on a new walk along the south ha-ha. As winter turns to spring this area is blanketed in colour, from the white of the snowdrops to the pale purple of the crocus and the vibrant yellows of the daffodils. Stretch your legs and soak up the views over the south parkland and beyond.

Bedding out Victorian style

The West Formal Garden sits next to the conservatory, a Victorian addition to the hall. The planting changes twice a year, as was the Victorian fashion to show off the brightest and boldest plants and foliage. The East Formal, in contrast, is a cool, scented space to watch the fish or sit in the summer house.

Walled garden

A stroll around Beningbrough's walled garden will take you through the historic pear arch, under the vines in the greenhouse and passed the growing produce. It's a popular spot for visitors and because of the confined space and use of produce, this along with the play area are the only parts of the garden that dogs are not permitted to visit.

Over 50 varieties of apples & pears, plus many other fruits & vegetables, are cultivated using traditional methods in two acres of enclosed kitchen garden. Harvested produce like the Beetroots below are used in the restaurant and surplus sold through the shop.

Take a bit of Beningbrough home

If you're inspired after your exploring, pause at the stables shop for something for your own bit of green space. Inside browse the books or head to the outdoor shop where for most of the year you can find tools, kits and ornaments to decorate your patch with. The benches are full of plants as the season evolves and the team can happily ask the gardeners if there was a particular plant you're after. There's a changing local bench for when the garden team have surplus from their propagation or harvested produce and in autumn a range of bulbs to pick up.