16 May 2023: Medieval Garden opened by Alan Titchmarsh

We are delighted to announce that our newly-planted Medieval Garden is now officially open.

We were thrilled to have been able to invite volunteers, Supporters, local dignitaries (including the Lord Mayor of Bradford), and friends to help us celebrate the opening of this wonderful new heritage garden that everyone can enjoy. We were lucky enough that the rain held off, allowing our patron, Alan Titchmarsh, the honours of cutting the ribbon.

Plans for redesigning the garden had been in place for a while. Owing to the history of Ilkley Manor House, with parts of the building dating back to c. 1340, we wanted a garden that would reflect the type of plants and herbs that would have been grown in the vicinity by families and people living in Ilkley during the medieval period.

It is only with the help of generous investment and the hard work from Keith Appleyard and the gardening team that, if you’ll excuse the pun, the garden has come to fruition. The sundial is in place and the trees have been registered as part of the late Queen’s Green Canopy, which was launched as part of the Jubilee celebrations in 2022.

Please come along to Ilkley Manor House any day of the week and enjoy this tranquil garden for yourself.

Photos courtesy of Oliver Thomas.