Garden art in an artful garden

Back in summer I was trekking in the Himalayas; not really. I was in a garden and there were no mountains, but I could almost imagine I was in a woodland dell in Nepal. It was the name of the garden that had attracted me to a small valley in North Yorkshire. I was on a short trip in July to see family and looked around for a classic garden to visit. That’s when I heard about the Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park.

There are countless stately homes around with impressive gardens but this sounded different, so off I went to find the award-winning garden. The countryside is rolling but this garden is located in a narrow valley, an unusual rift in the landscape. I reached it after following little more than a tree-lined lane. And there it was, a 45-acre woodland garden created by Peter and Caroline Roberts.

They only acquired the property in 1995 when it was a woodland filled with coppiced hazel trees, dense areas of Sitka spruce, and Japanese knotweed. And yet they had a vision. They turned the small valley, more like a large ravine, into a beautiful garden/art gallery. The art is in the form of striking sculptures, 90 pieces dotted throughout the garden, each one positioned to relate to the weather, light, and nearby plantings. Particularly striking was an installation of ceramic blue poppies cascading down the hillside. This is fitting as the poppies originate in the Himalayas and can be seen growing in the garden in springtime. 

Springtime is the favoured time to visit when one of the largest collections of rare and unusual varieties and species of rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias in Northern England are in bloom, enhanced by drifts of spring bulbs. It would be an exceptional sight, although it’s also the busiest time and tickets must be booked well ahead. 

The combination of plants and sculptures in the park works beautifully, and the view from above was as breathtaking as described, but after descending one of the steep pathways to the floor of the valley, I discovered quiet trails that meandered around three small lakes. Along the way I passed by a somewhat incongruous bronze leopard stalking a deer, and a mini-Stonehenge that did look at home emerging from a grassy bank. 

Then when I circled the larger lake, I discovered the magic of the park in its delightful tranquility, with birds singing and a light breeze whispering through the willows. Before me a was a traditional Nepalese pagoda that captured the essence of the garden. Due to the park’s uneven terrain, it isn’t suitable for those with mobility issues and the steep climb out was almost a challenge, but I was rewarded with that staple of every garden and garden centre I’ve visited in Britain, a tearoom. The delicious, buttered scones with raspberry jam and fresh cream never tasted better. 

I left hoping to return some day, maybe in springtime, and it will be waiting for me because to secure the future of the park, the Roberts donated the estate to a charitable trust named The Hutts Foundation. Located just north of the old market town of Ripon in the heart of James Herriot country, this garden may not be attached to a stately home, but there is a rather grand farm that offers accommodations. A few days there to explore the park would be lovely.