Thwaite Gardens and Bishop Burton Walled Garden

Once part of the estate of Thwaite Hall, an important survival of a 19th Century villa, but now owned by the University of Hull, in 1948 it became the Thwaite Botanic Gardens. The gardens, Grade 2 of Special Historic Interest, cover approximately one hectare and are now managed and maintained by the Friends of Thwaite Gardens. Not normally open to the public, after refreshments on arrival, there was an opportunity to explore the glasshouses plus a guided walk of the gardens with particular reference to the collection of specimen trees. A short drive away, we organised a visit to Bishop Burton.

Mentioned in the Domesday Book and known to Romans and Angles, Bishop Burton was an important manor and deer park of the Archbishops of York. Following the Reformation it was acquired by a succession of landed families. It is thought that the walled kitchen garden was built in the 1780s. It was redesigned and opened to the public in 2014. There was an introductory talk, and a tour followed by the opportunity to buy tea and scones at the on-site cafe.