Duncombe Park

Duncombe Park lies close to the town of Helmsley in the heart of rural Yorkshire. Built in 1713 it is sent amidst rolling parkland which has been virtually untouched for 280 years and overlooks the river Rya and Helmsley Castle.

Duncombe Park, Helmsley, York, North Yorkshire, YO62 5EB
Tel: 01439 770213

www.duncombepark.com

Rievaulx Abbey

Everywhere peace, everywhere serenity, and a marvelous freedom from the tumult of the world. Those words, written over eight centuries ago by the monastery's third abbot, St Aelred, could describe Rievaulx today, for it is one of the most atmospheric of all the ruined abbeys of the north. Words are not the only link to Rievaulx's distant medieval monks. Over the past two years, the site has become something of an archaeological treasure, with unexpected discoveries shedding new light on the lives of the abbey's former residents. Analysis of a flagon found by chance has revealed that the monks ate wild strawberries. A remote-controlled CCTV camera explored the hidden depths of a 16th-century drain that plunges deep underground, providing an insight into monastic hygiene. Further experimental archaeology has investigated the abbey's flourishing iron industry. And the rare find of a piece of 13th-century stained glass, with a depiction of a cockerel, has illustrated the extensive renewal and rebuilding of the abbey church in the early English Gothic style. Meanwhile, archaeologists continue to study the wider landscape around Rievaulx, revealing the remarkable extent of the abbey's influence and industry.

In Rievaulx, 2¼ miles West of Helmsley on a minor road off the B1257
Tel: 01439 770173 (Local Tourist Information)

www.english-heritage.org.uk/yorkshire

Wytherstone Gardens

Located only 2 miles from the popular market town of Helmsley, this friendly plants man's garden set in 8 acres of rolling countryside on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors is perfect for gardening enthusiasts and novices alike.

You are encouraged to touch, smell, interact and discover the wide variety of plants on offer. Almost all are clearly labeled but there are a number of species so rare that they still have to be accurately identified. Lady Clarissa Collin or Jonathan, the head gardener, enthusiastically give impromptu presentations that offer a wonderful insight to this most unbelievable place. You can even take home plants from the on-site nursery all of which are propagated from the garden.

Wytherstone Gardens, Wytherstone Estate, Pockley, Near Helmsley, York, YO62 7TE
Tel: 01439 770012

www.wytherstonegardens.com

The Walled Garden at Scampston

The 4½ acre Walled Garden opens for the first time in 2004. It is fully planted but still ‘in the making’ so you will have to use some imagination to envisage the final form that will emerge as the seasons go by.

The garden has been created by the internationally renowned designer Piet Oudolf whose innovative style is to our times as Gertrude Jekyll was to the last century. All the work and propagation has been done by the in-house gardening team over the last 4 years supervised by the designer on a regular basis.

The garden is unashamedly modern but perfectly compliments, and is in balance with, the House and Park, which is, just as unashamedly, period. The plan brings together a number of well established design ideas into a single and individual context.

The garden is divided into a series of spaces, each with a character of its own.

Scampston Hall, Malton, North Yorkshire, YO17 8NG
Tel: 01944 758224

www.scampston.co.uk

Whitby Abbey

Dig a little deeper - over 2000 years of archaeological discovery in the indoor history gallery, with magnificent views over the harbour town of Whitby. Interrogate personalities from the past from Bram Stoker to 1500 year old Abbess, St Hilda.Fly through time in digital reconstructions of the Abbey through history. Interactive Play Centre.

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