About the garden
Owned by
National Trust
New for 2023: Nunnington Hall & Gardens is a beautiful and picturesque spot on the banks of the River Rye, nestled between the Howardian Hills and North York Moors. This hidden gem has been managed organically since 2002 and is a nature- and wildlife-friendly haven.
The main lawn at the south of the house creates the centre piece of the garden. Three small orchards – an apple orchard, pear orchard and stone fruit orchard featuring traditional and local fruit varieties – flank the sides of the main lawn. The orchards are underplanted with wildflower meadows, which contain a diverse range of wildflowers and grasses from a display of snowdrops, cowslips, daffodils, snake’s head fritillaries, buttercups, camassias, oxeye daisies to traditional hay meadows.
The meadows provide a rich habitat for many insects, including bees and butterflies. Two long mixed borders sit alongside the terrace path in a mixed cottage-style planting with shrubs providing structure and height. A sweet iris garden is the perfect sun trap to create a pause and tranquil moment in your journey around the garden.
The cutting garden provides space for the team to showcase the organic management techniques and grow seasonal produce to use in the tearoom. Finally, the rose garden, created by Mrs Fife in the 1920s, provides a parade of colour and delicate fragrances throughout the seasons.
Please note: This is a partially accessible garden (most of the garden is accessible but some parts are not easily accessible).
