Newby Hall and Gardens Ripon North Yorkshire

"Newby Hall and Gardens is well known in the horticultutal fraternity as an impressive example of well designed and extensive range of garden features, expertly decorated with a ricj and diverse range of plants. The truly magnificent herbaceous borders are the central feature of the gardens but are by no means the only feature of quality. Garden rooms and themed planting provide a range of style’s that can easily be incorporated into most gardens large or small. Of particular value is the work on plant conservation and Newby boasts the best collection of the genus Cornus in the Country."

2008 Overall Gold Award- Yorkshire in Bloom
BTA Heritage Award
2006 Gold Award – Yorkshire in Bloom
HHA/Christies Garden of the Year Award
Home for the National Collection of Cornus (excluding Florida Cultivars).

A Guide to the Gardens of Newby Hall by Robin Compton, President of the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens.

The original design

Newby Hall was built between 1691-1695 and shortly afterwards the owner, Sir Edward Blackett, commissioned Peter Aram as head gardener to lay out formal gardens and avenues in keeping with the period.

Very little of Aram’s layout for Newby remains today and the present design is largely attributable to the present owner’s grandfather, the late Major Edward Compton, who inherited Newby in 1921.

Influenced by Lawrence Johnston’s Hidcote Manor in Gloucestershire, Major Compton decided to create a main axis for the garden running from the south front of the house right down to the River Ure. The axis consisted of double herbaceous borders flanked by double yew hedges with a broad grass walk running down the middle. Off it he planned compartmented gardens of formal design like rooms off the main passage of a house – each filled with plants to be at their best for different seasons – truly a ‘Garden for all Seasons’.

The gardens he created over 50 years cover 40 acres and make a great contribution to 20th century gardening design.

Newby today

Major Compton died in 1977 and left a daunting challenge to the present owners parents’, Mr and Mrs Robin Compton. His ‘Grand Design’ needed labour-intensive maintenance and, in the last years lacked it, so the garden had fallen into a sorry state. Fortunately Robin Compton had spent most of his leisure hours, away from business activities, gardening and studying plants and how they behave and Jane Compton was also passionately interested in flowers, possessing an unusual flair for colour and design.

Today they have totally restored and replanted these lovely gardens over a ten year period. They have been honoured to win the BTA Heritage Award acknowledging their outstanding contribution to tourism for the restoration of Newby Hall and Gardens and the HHA/Christie’s Garden of the Year Award.

As President of the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens and helped by Jane Compton’s artistic eye, Robin Compton has filled Newby Gardens with rare and beautiful plants, many of which may be bought at the Plant Centre.

The gardens also hold the National Collection of Cornus (Dogwoods).

Visiting Newby

Garden leaflets with suggested walks through the gardens are available to help visitors decide where to go and what to see at each time of the year. They contain a map too as twenty-five acres of gardens can be confusing!

A visit to the Adventure Gardens, which were designed in the Year of the Child, is not to be missed, nor is a memorable ride through the gardens on the miniature railway alongside the river.

Newby’s gardening seasons

Newby’s gardens offer variety throughout the seasons. There’s always something beautiful to see and enjoy.

Best Months

Many of our rare and beautiful plants are available for sale at the Newby Hall Plant Centre near the Visitor Centre.

Adventure Garden
Newby’s exciting Adventure Garden for Children has been thoughtfully and safely designed for children of all ages – from the paddling pool, sandpit and swings for toddlers through to climbing frames and bridges, an aerial slide and pedalo boats for the older children. And of course, Newby’s famous Miniature Railway is for children and adults alike – of all ages!

Chain Pontoon
Log Roll
Climbing Frames
Aerial Slide
Pedaloes
Timber Fort
Swing Boats
Sand Pit
Paddling Pool
Miniature Railway

Some parts of the children’s adventure garden comprising many slides, climbing frames, swings, sandpits, are suitable for handicapped users.

Welcome to the Sculpture Park – Art and Nature

The Woodland Walk’s plants and mature tress support, frame and enhance a changing collection of contemporary sculpture in this stunning setting.

The range of works selected by owner/curator Lucinda Compton, is wide with styles varying from figurative to highly abstract, innovatively using contemporary metals, wire, glass, ceramics and plastics as well as the more traditional stone, wood and bronze. Each sculpture is placed in a carefully considered and meaningful relationship with the other featured works within the Woodland and Gardens. The result is an inspired combination of peaceful, enclosed harmony and dramatic, surprise vistas in an ever-changing environment.

The Sculpture Park is open from 1st June until Newby closes at the end of the season and is supported during June by an exhibition of related drawings in the Grantham Room.

Entrance is free with a gardens only ticket.

Represented Artists

Each year Newby displays a completely new selection of contemporary sculpture throughout the woodland, orchard and gardens. The sculptors who exhibit here come from far and wide – many are well known like Sir Anthony Caro and William Pye, but there are also a number of young up and coming artists.

Between 50-60 works are usually on show in a variety of media including wood, bronze, stone, glass and steel – we hope that there is something to suit all tastes.

Applicants are invited from established and emerging artists to exhibit in magnificent and varied settings at this internationally recognised venue.

Please write in with CV’s, artist statements and samples of work or telephone for an informal chat.

Investing in Sculpture

All the pieces are for sale and many of the sculptors are also available for commissions. Prices range from £100 – £100,000.

In some instances, it is also possible to pay by instalments. Please contact the Estate Office for further details.

Please contact the Estate Office for further details on visiting the Sculpture Park, Sales and Sponsorship on 01423 322583 or CLICK HERE for more information

Woodland Walk
The Woodland Discovery Walk takes a tour through historic Bragget Wood and the adjacent orchard. The route, which takes approximately 45 minutes, provides easy walking on a mixture of grass and gravel paths with some steps.

When Robert Vyner came to live here in the 1890s he decided it would be a nice idea to link the gardens with the wood. The wood was already well developed and reached down to the waterfalls in the river Ure at Westwick.

The walk is much the same today as it must have looked then – full of interest and charm, though the wood is more mature. But there is one major alteration: the broad walk between the gardens and Bragget Wood led through a grass field, with a few Park Trees suffering from old age. This was an ideal site for an Orchard but needed protection from the North winds so a shelter belt of Damson trees was planted to protect the Apple trees in 1948.
You will see many tree species along the way including Oak, Beech, Lime, Holly and Horse Chestnut as well as a wide variety of flowering plants and hopefully some wildlife too! The wood is home to the chaffinch, nuthatch and water vole amongst others.

Weddings
Wedding ceremonies

Set in 40 acres of beautiful gardens bounded by the River Ure, Newby is a truly idyllic setting for a wedding.

The elegant 17th Century house with its magnificent Robert Adam interiors epitomises the Georgian “Age of Elegance” providing a unique and atmospheric venue.

Wedding ceremonies can be held in the Statue Gallery or adjoining Library, receptions in the house itself or in a marquee in the grounds.

Newby Hall Farm Shop
Local Produce at its Very Best!

The Newby Hall Farm Shop is situated on the B6265 road just North of Boroughbridge
Tel – 01423 326 452
Open Monday – Saturday 9am – 6pm & Sunday 10am – 5pm

Located at – Leeming Lane, Langthorpe, Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, YO51 9DE

Specialising in meat and game from our own stock – traditionally reared by JC Lister Farms on the Newby Hall Estate and its surrounding farms.

Over 90% of our food products are sourced less than 40 miles from our farm.

Our food is produced with pride by local farmers and custodians of our beautiful countryside – isn’t it time you sampled the delights from the Newby Hall Farm Shop?

Our complete range of mouth watering beef and pork products are backed up by seasonal, fresh, local lamb.

A selection of traditional and specialist dairy products – including a delicious ice cream range awaits you….

The delicatessen counter is packed with a selection of wonderful cheeses, chosen purely for their quality and taste.

With far too many products to mention – a variety of organic and specialist traditional fayre including bakery, chocolates, preserves, condiments, sauces and much more are all here for you.

This coupled with a warm Yorkshire welcome and friendly service – with a smile of course!

I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Mark Maxwell, Manager Newby Hall Farm Shop