Appeals

‘Up the Garden Path’

Helmsley Walled Garden paths appeal 2025

When Alison Ticehurst pushed open the doors to this forgotten garden in 1994 she found no trace of the beautiful lawns, herbaceous borders and kitchen garden that would have been part of this classic 18th century walled garden 200 years previously.

Engaging local people to help her, Alison cleared weeds and self seeded trees to expose the framework of what is now a stunning garden. Buried under soil and vegetation, the original paths and dipping pond of the garden were slowly revealed by Alison and her dedicated volunteers.

These paths remain today and their quirky, asymmetrical layout are an important part of what makes Helmsley Walled Garden not only a popular visitor attraction but a uniquely restful and restorative space.

Although often beautiful, perfect symmetry can be sometimes intimidating for many of us. Maintained entirely by our volunteers, Helmsley is an accessible garden in every sense of the word. Our beautiful herbaceous borders demonstrate a gently ordered approach that encourages our visitors to meander and discover our many garden rooms. The original footpaths create interesting shapes dictated by the rhombus footprint of the brick walls and our central dipping pond can be accessed, and its fountain heard, from every corner of the garden.

*Update*

In November 2025, we were finally able to welcome a groundworks team into the garden to begin the restoration of the central Hot Border path and dipping pond. This achievement would not have been possible without your generous donations, for which we are profoundly grateful.

We were also fortunate to receive funding from The Kirkby Foundation, the Bernard Sunley Group, and the Stanley Smith Trust.

We now have an immaculate pathway through the Hot Border and the level of the central dipping pond has been raised, resolving the on-going leak.

Thank you so much for supporting this project, and enabling a safe and accessible route through the garden which will be enjoyed for many years to come.

Past appeals

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  The Orchid House

  The Orchid House was originally restored from its derelict state in 2003. Nearly twenty years on, it once again required...

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  Adopt a square metre

  Like many organisations, Helmsley Walled Garden found itself without any income, during the Covid19 pandemic, when it had to close...