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Visiting the garden at East Riddlesden Hall

Visitors on a bench in the garden at East Riddlesden Hall, Yorkshire, on a rainy summer day, with red roses blooming in the forground
In the garden at East Riddlesden Hall, Yorkshire | © National Trust Images/Trevor Ray Hart

Take a spring stroll through the intimate gardens at East Riddlesden Hall, relax on the formal lawns and watch the wildlife at work.

Summer in the garden

The gardens at East Riddlesden Hall are ever changing – but summer is one of the best times to enjoy them at their very best. Green lawns are surrounded by colourful borders and the smell of sweetly-scented roses fills the air. Pull up a picnic blanket or relax in a deck chair with a good book and enjoy this peaceful space.

The garden through the seasons

The gardens at East Riddlesden hall are ever changing, find out what you could see during your next visit.

A bench in the colourful formal garden at East Riddlesden Hall
The gardens are filled with colour during the summer months | © National Trust Images/Andrew Butler

Early summer

This is the perfect time to appreciate the formal gardens, with borders bursting with colour. Look out for geraniums, delphiniums and verbascums growing tall amongst the borders. Spot the roses growing on the walls and take in their beautiful summer scents.

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Make sure you take it all in

The formal garden

This main part of the garden was designed in 1972. Herbacious borders surround the green lawns, which are lovingly tended to by our amazing garden volunteers.

In the borders, you’ll find a selection of perennials which burst into bloom at different times throughout the season.The garden walls are covered in climbing plants and ivy.

Mollie's Garden 

At the back of the garden, head through the ivy archway and you’ll find another secret spot. In Mollie’s Garden, you’ll see a variety of homes for our little garden wildlife as well as beds for cut flowers. You’ll also find one of the most important parts of our garden – the compost area. Here is where we make all the compost in the gardens, from garden waste collected throughout the year.

The wild garden

The wild garden provides the perfect contrast to the main garden. Here you’ll find a variety of wildflowers, taking their turn to take centre stage. 

This peaceful, wild spot is a favourite place for our garden wildlife. The central lime tree makes this the perfect spot to find some shade on sunny days. Bugs can be found crawling through the grass, butterflies flutter between the flowers and birds can be heard singing loudly in the treetops.

The herb border

Wander down by the side of the house and you’ll be greeted by our herb border. Here you’ll find a variety of herbs, all of which can be found in Culpeper’s Herbal. Listen to the buzzing of bees and watch the butterflies darting about this colourful space. Taste, touch and smell the different herbs growing in the borders and see if you can work out what they would be used for.

Fields and meadows

Enjoy a local walk along the lower fields, looking for wildlife on the banks of the River Aire. This open space is a great place to enjoy some peace and quiet on your doorstep, with plenty of room for little ones to charge about and to stretch your legs on the riverside path.

If you’re visiting with your four-legged friend, please be mindful of livestock grazing in nearby fields. Please do keep your dogs under close control and help us care for this special place by removing any waste and using the bins provided.

A view across a field with picnic benches and low lying cloud in the background
The lower fields are the perfect place for a picnic | © National Trust Images/Andrew Butler
Visitors looking at a tapestry in the Great Hall at East Riddlesden Hall

Discover more at East Riddlesden Hall

Find out when East Riddlesden Hall is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.

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