As promised
20 Apr 2009 10:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ieuneA photo trip around yesterday's GDO to Parcevall Hall Gardens.
You park in what was clearly the old kitchen garden--the espaliered fruit trees growing against the stone wall, the remnants of the hothouse and whitewashed walls where it's been dismantled betray that, and pass by this sign.
Looks an easy amble, doesn't it, but the drive to this secluded site has forwarned you--walking this part of Yorkshire tests the thighs. And so you proceed up the steep Daffodil bank, admiring the views on either side, and being attentive to boot placement on the cliffside edge part of the climb, until you reach a vantage point at the top. Pausing to admire the sheep browsing the native scree slopes (and get your breath back!) you pass on under newly greening larch trees and look down on this.
From the young family passing in the opposite direction, you learn there are 85 steps down. You proceed, with care--some of those steps are further down than they look-- and enter a garden of dappled shade and scented flowers; trillium, blood red and white forms, trifoliate and petalled, belonging to the ginger family, as well as azaleas, assorted anemones (including forms I've not seen before) and assorted hellebores, including this fully double form.
Following the path you move back into the sun once more and a drift of naturally occuring waterworn limestone that has forced its way between the native gritstone, as it does in this area, lying as it does on the North Craven fault, to provide a perfect, natural, rock garden. Looking up.
And, standing at the top by the seat, looking down.
Being high again, you descend the tree-shaded path until you spy the rooftop of the Hall itself, and the view down Wharfedale.
Now you're close to the formal garden, and, looking down the path, there are several enticing gates that beckon you closer.
You choose the middle way and enter into layers of terraces. This one is complete with a stone arbour, soon to be covered by the emerging Wisteria, and coloured by camellias in full bloom underplanted by the giant form of snowdrop. Many other choice plant are showing their noses to the sun.
The sunny peace of the afternoon is only improved by the occasional call of curlews, (Curlews?? I know, but true.) or the soft conversation of fellow visitors, or the gentle babble of water.
With views across to Simon's Seat (rock formation on the horizon), you have no difficulty understanding why Mr Milner bought this falling-down long house and rebuilt it.
Sir Walter was something of a planstman and received many rare and unknown-to-us-at-the-time specimens brought from western China and Tibet by that great planthunter George Forrest, amongst others. Dominating this terrace are two magnificent Prunus x yedoensis, dating from the 1930s.
Looking back up the red border --a bit early for the full visual treat of colour-- before prceeding right along South Ploughings to Tarn Ghyll wood, and its pond.
Following Tarn Ghyll beck through the dappled woodland.
The pond, before it falls a dozen or so feet over a weir to continue through the trees and join Skyreholme beck and thence down the Wharfedale valley.
Nearly back where you started now.
The view from the tea room terrace.
In summary, I can only say that this garden was well to my liking, many of my favourite plants were coming up; paeonies, iris, roses, wisteria, magnolia, cherry trees, bluebells, azalea, and that it was immaculately kept and tended. I hope to return later in the year when summer has brought the borders on and new flowers have emerged for admiration.
You park in what was clearly the old kitchen garden--the espaliered fruit trees growing against the stone wall, the remnants of the hothouse and whitewashed walls where it's been dismantled betray that, and pass by this sign.
Looks an easy amble, doesn't it, but the drive to this secluded site has forwarned you--walking this part of Yorkshire tests the thighs. And so you proceed up the steep Daffodil bank, admiring the views on either side, and being attentive to boot placement on the cliffside edge part of the climb, until you reach a vantage point at the top. Pausing to admire the sheep browsing the native scree slopes (and get your breath back!) you pass on under newly greening larch trees and look down on this.
From the young family passing in the opposite direction, you learn there are 85 steps down. You proceed, with care--some of those steps are further down than they look-- and enter a garden of dappled shade and scented flowers; trillium, blood red and white forms, trifoliate and petalled, belonging to the ginger family, as well as azaleas, assorted anemones (including forms I've not seen before) and assorted hellebores, including this fully double form.
Following the path you move back into the sun once more and a drift of naturally occuring waterworn limestone that has forced its way between the native gritstone, as it does in this area, lying as it does on the North Craven fault, to provide a perfect, natural, rock garden. Looking up.
And, standing at the top by the seat, looking down.
Being high again, you descend the tree-shaded path until you spy the rooftop of the Hall itself, and the view down Wharfedale.
Now you're close to the formal garden, and, looking down the path, there are several enticing gates that beckon you closer.
You choose the middle way and enter into layers of terraces. This one is complete with a stone arbour, soon to be covered by the emerging Wisteria, and coloured by camellias in full bloom underplanted by the giant form of snowdrop. Many other choice plant are showing their noses to the sun.
The sunny peace of the afternoon is only improved by the occasional call of curlews, (Curlews?? I know, but true.) or the soft conversation of fellow visitors, or the gentle babble of water.
With views across to Simon's Seat (rock formation on the horizon), you have no difficulty understanding why Mr Milner bought this falling-down long house and rebuilt it.
Sir Walter was something of a planstman and received many rare and unknown-to-us-at-the-time specimens brought from western China and Tibet by that great planthunter George Forrest, amongst others. Dominating this terrace are two magnificent Prunus x yedoensis, dating from the 1930s.
Looking back up the red border --a bit early for the full visual treat of colour-- before prceeding right along South Ploughings to Tarn Ghyll wood, and its pond.
Following Tarn Ghyll beck through the dappled woodland.
The pond, before it falls a dozen or so feet over a weir to continue through the trees and join Skyreholme beck and thence down the Wharfedale valley.
Nearly back where you started now.
The view from the tea room terrace.
In summary, I can only say that this garden was well to my liking, many of my favourite plants were coming up; paeonies, iris, roses, wisteria, magnolia, cherry trees, bluebells, azalea, and that it was immaculately kept and tended. I hope to return later in the year when summer has brought the borders on and new flowers have emerged for admiration.