Welcome to a beautiful garden in the heart of North Yorkshire
Yorkshire In Bloom Winners 2009!
In September 2009 we were awarded a Yorkshire Rose Gold and named the overall winners of the Country House, Estate, Parks and Garden category of Yorkshire in Bloom. Not at all bad for a small social enterprise with only 5 full time equivalent staff and a band of very committed volunteers!
Dating back to 1759, Helmsley Walled garden nestles between the Grade One listed landscape of Duncombe Park and the scheduled ancient monument that is Helmsley Castle. The garden was a major employer during most of its history, but following the First World War, it was leased as a commercial enterprise and was run as such until 1984.
In 1984, it was abandoned and fell into dereliction. The restoration began in 1994 to restore the garden back to its original Victorian beauty and productivity.
Today the mission of Helmsley Walled Garden is to conserve and restore the fabric of this historically important walled garden and to return it to full productivity, incidentally conserving old, rare and endangered garden plants, using environmentally sustainable and where possible fully organic techniques.
Simultaneously, we provide horticultural therapy, education and employment in the Helmsley area , with special emphasis on addressing the needs of the disadvantaged within the community. Gardens and gardening carry with them a wide range of therapeutic benefits for the disabled, elderly or disadvantaged, as well as for the able bodied. We have 15 years of practical experience of the ways in which horticulture can:
Provide the work experience, skills and practical qualifications that can lead to permanent employment.
Bring individuals who are alienated – for whatever reason – back into a caring and sustaining community
Help rehabilitate the disadvantaged by building confidence and social skills
Restore strength, self confidence and mobility after illness, trauma or accident
Provide a peaceful, restorative haven for those recovering from illness and for those whose illness is terminal
Helmsley Walled Garden
Our ethos is one of acceptance and support of those less advantaged. This follows the lead of Alison Ticehurst, the founder of the garden’s restoration project. To these ends we have:
Established management structures and protection policies sympathetic to the needs of disadvantaged people with a range disabilities, be they physical, emotional, psychological or social.
Secured the continued success of all these activities by creating a sustainable, not for profit business with visitor numbers in excess of 20,000 people per annum, thus making a considerable contribution to the local economy
Employed permanent staff members who are highly committed to providing a safe caring, welcoming and non-judgemental working environment are committed to continuing staff training and professional development
Applied positive discrimination in employing people with disabilities and in favour of the long term unemployed of all ages. We have been awarded disability employer Symbol by the employment services.
Become involved in the care and reemployment of offenders
Engaged with local schools involved in Special Needs and mainstream provision; they use the garden for activities related to the National Curriculum
Forged exceptionally close links within this tight knit, rural community, not least by providing an outlet for the often under used skills of retired and semi retired professionals, business people and the unemployed.
Built up a thriving network of volunteers, who engage in a wide range of gardening related tasks and activities and participate in an equally wide range of social events within the garden, which consolidate a sense of community and belonging
Been included as an exemplar on account of our policies of social inclusion in ‘Involving and Including People’ as part of the Government Statement on the Historic Environment
Welcome to a beautiful garden in the heart of North Yorkshire
Yorkshire In Bloom Winners 2009!
In September 2009 we were awarded a Yorkshire Rose Gold and named the overall winners of the Country House, Estate, Parks and Garden category of Yorkshire in Bloom. Not at all bad for a small social enterprise with only 5 full time equivalent staff and a band of very committed volunteers!
Dating back to 1759, Helmsley Walled garden nestles between the Grade One listed landscape of Duncombe Park and the scheduled ancient monument that is Helmsley Castle. The garden was a major employer during most of its history, but following the First World War, it was leased as a commercial enterprise and was run as such until 1984.
In 1984, it was abandoned and fell into dereliction. The restoration began in 1994 to restore the garden back to its original Victorian beauty and productivity.
Today the mission of Helmsley Walled Garden is to conserve and restore the fabric of this historically important walled garden and to return it to full productivity, incidentally conserving old, rare and endangered garden plants, using environmentally sustainable and where possible fully organic techniques.
Simultaneously, we provide horticultural therapy, education and employment in the Helmsley area , with special emphasis on addressing the needs of the disadvantaged within the community. Gardens and gardening carry with them a wide range of therapeutic benefits for the disabled, elderly or disadvantaged, as well as for the able bodied. We have 15 years of practical experience of the ways in which horticulture can:
Helmsley Walled Garden
Our ethos is one of acceptance and support of those less advantaged. This follows the lead of Alison Ticehurst, the founder of the garden’s restoration project. To these ends we have:
Please come and visit us!
Download the Latest Helsmley Walled Garden Newsletter 2009 (724)