Ingleborough Estate
Meeting at The Old Sawmill Cafe, Riverside, Clapham, LA2 8DS
Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail LA2 8DS https://ingleboroughestatenaturetrail.co.uk/
Time: 10.30am
A talk followed by a tour of the rhododendrons on the Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail, with Andrew Jarman, Managing Director of the Ingleborough Nature Trail, and Trevor Nicholson, CIH Member and Head of Gardens & Grounds at Harewood House. The talk will cover the life and work of Reginald Farrer, with an emphasis on the rhododendrons he planted on the estate.
Program:
10.30am Arrival with tea/coffee
10.45am Welcome & Introduction by Andrew Jarman
11.00am Talk by Trevor Nicholson:
“The Rhododendrons of Ingleborough – Reginald Farrer's Living Legacy”
12.00pm Buffet Lunch with tea/coffee
1.00pm Tour of the rhododendrons with Trevor Nicholson & Andrew Jarman
3.00pm Depart
We will be given a rare opportunity to access the rhododendrons in a private area of the Estate not normally open to visitors, where the ground is steep and the path is narrow, stepped and uneven. Please be aware there are steep drops. Outdoor footwear and all-weather clothing is advisable. Walking poles may be beneficial. In the event of wet weather, the tour route may be adjusted accordingly for safety reasons.
About Reginald Farrer (1880-1920)
The Ingleborough Estate is the former home of Reginald Farrer (1880-1920) – gardener, author, traveller and plant collector. A popular destination for nature-lovers, walkers and cavers today, the Estate contains such famous landmarks as Ingleborough mountain – one of Yorkshire’s Three Peaks; Gaping Gill, with it’s colossal 320-foot chamber; and Ingleborough Cave – the best show cave in Britain with its stunning limestone formations.
Farrer’s contribution to the world of alpine gardening, through his prolific writing and his many plant introductions is significant and well known. He is regarded as the ‘Father of Rock Gardening’ and the ‘Patron Saint of Alpine Gardeners’. Together with his famous rock garden at Ingleborough, and the creation of the Craven Nursery in the village of Clapham, among Farrer’s most celebrated gardening achievements include his ‘cliff garden’ at Ingleborough, which was acknowledged at the time as ‘the only true natural rock garden in the country’. Sadly, Farrer died during an expedition to Upper Burma in 1920.
What is less well-known is that Farrer, who’s fame is almost exclusively associated with alpine gardening on limestone, also had a fondness for rhododendrons. Whilst mystery surrounds the true origins of some of them, many old rhododendrons can be seen today along the ‘Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail. Trevor Nicholson, Head Gardener at Harewood, has in his spare time been working on the ‘Farrer rhododendrons’, undertaking research and field surveys in an attempt to trace their origins, evaluate the significance of the collection, and importantly, promote its conservation for future generations.
Cost: Members £18, Guests £25, payment by prior bank transfer.
RSVP: Jason Daff via email: [email protected]
All members, guests and students are welcome to join this visit, please get in touch if you are interested in arranging car sharing opportunities.
DIRECTIONS:
Meet in the Reginald Farrer room (upstairs at The Old Sawmill Cafe), Riverside, Clapham, LA2 8DS. Clapham is a delightful village located midway between Settle and Ingleton on the A65. From either direction turn off on the B6480 signposted to Clapham. Parking is in the Yorkshire Dales NP car park LA2 8EA (Head past the New Inn on Church Avenue and turn right).
Continue on foot along Church Avenue over the packhorse bridge to Riverside. The Sawmill Café is up on the right opposite the waterfall view.
