Very much part of the Yorkshire countryside, RHS Harlow Carr is a delight in every season. Very much part of the Yorkshire countryside, RHS Harlow Carr is a delight in every season.

The history of RHS Garden Harlow Carr

Discover the rich history of this Yorkshire gem, born from an ancient Royal hunting ground

Visitors enjoying the early gardens of Harlow Carr

A garden for the north

Created on land originally leased from Harrogate Corporation, the garden at RHS Garden Harlow Carr was established by members of the then newly formed Northern Horticultural Society (NHS) and opened its gates to visitors in 1950.

The intention of the NHS was to create a garden in which plants would be trialled in the same way as the Royal Horticultural Society trialled plants at its garden at Wisley in Surrey. The remit here though, was to help gardeners better manage the more difficult growing conditions in the north as well as to showcase the volume of plants that could be grown successfully here.

Illustration of Harrogate Arms in 1840s

A place for health and wellbeing

The site of the garden in ‘Harlow Car’ once formed part of the ancient Forest of Knaresborough, a Royal hunting ground. The name ‘Car’ refers to marshy wetland. Natural springs were found here in the 18th century, though not exploited until the mid-19th century. Estate owner, Henry Wright, built a bath house and hotel, later known as the Harrogate Arms, on the site, which catered for visitors who came to benefit from the health-giving spa water for which the town became famed. Landscaped gardens were developed alongside to add to the visitor experience, though by the time to NHS took possession of the land, those gardens had reverted to arable and pastureland.

Visitors enjoy a walk through the woodland in summer

Harlow Carr’s thriving garden

The beautiful and thriving garden we see today has evolved and developed significantly from that which opened its gates to NHS members all those decades ago. Set in a valley and with distinctive growing conditions, the garden contains variable environments including acid woodland, wildflower meadows, streamside and rock gardens, and an open, south-facing hillside. Attractive dry stone walls, typical of the area, anchor the garden within the traditional Yorkshire landscape.

The garden stands 155m (508ft) above sea level. Its topography ensures that flooding is a regular occurance in certain areas as rain water falling on the surrounding hills runs into the stream. Prolonged cold, drying winter winds, frequent deep frosts and a relatively short and cool growing season are characteristic. The soil is heavy, acidic clay with a pH ranging from 4.8 to 5.6 and it takes a long time to warm in spring.

Landmark dates in Harlow Carr’s history

1960s

Streamside and the Woodland were the first areas to be developed, quickly followed by a Rose Garden, Herbaceous Border, Lily Pool and Heath Garden. Trial beds were established too with soil cultivated to match the gardens in the north of England. The scale of the ambition of the Society was now clear for all to see.

1970s

Over the next few decades the garden grew in size from 26 to 68 acres. The formal areas of the garden evolved to become less regimented in appearance. For the first time informal areas with a more naturalistic style were incorporated into the garden.

2000s

In 2001, the Northern Horticultural Society amalgamated with the RHS. From then on the plans for the garden developed rapidly with a vision drawn up in 2000 to map out the next half century’s development. The Alpine House and Bramall Learning Centre were two new important additions, the latter allowing local school children to benefit.

See the Bramall Learning Centre

Today

Developments at the garden continue at pace. Most recently a Sun Border has been created to showcase heat loving plants able to adapt to the changing climate, and the brand new ‘Thaliana Bridge’ has been completed, opening up views across the Queen Mothers Lake. The Garden Team are improving diversity of planting in the Woodland and around Streamside, and there is an ongoing focus on sustainable water management across the site. The brand new Harrogate Arms Café opened in 2024 and the surrounding area is landscaped to emphasise views into the garden, re-establishing the historical links between the building and the landscape.

See the Harrogate Arms project

1949

Harrogate Corporation invited the newly formed Northern Horticultural Society to lease 40 acres of land, of which 17 were arable and grassland and the remainder woodland. The gardens created by Wright were by now arable pastureland. Though in a state of neglect, the Society could see the potential of the site, praising, ‘The land, situated within easy access of the town, consists partly of woodlands and partly of arable land, with an attractive stream’.

1950

Enthusiasm for the garden grew as the vision of the Society took hold. Fundraising began in earnest as pioneers (pictured Vasily Petruszcak [known as Basil Petruszcak] and a colleague) laboured to clear the site, donated plants and shouldered the garden’s creation.

1954

Geoffrey Smith (pictured) became superintendant of the garden. Renowned for his plant knowledge, drive and energy, he is most well known for his work around Streamside and planting the Arboretum.