The three siblings got together in M’s house in Yorkshire for the weekend – what a treat! As I’m the garden historian, it was down to me to find a garden which none of us had visited before. Kiplin Hall was the result – and an added bonus to the fascinating house and gardens were the raspberries, straight from the Walled Garden. Again, we were so lucky with the weather.
Kiplin Hall is about 5 miles east of the A1(M), halfway between Northallerton and Richmond.
The gardens have recently been restored – start your walk with the gardens surrounding the house.
The Folly is on the far side of the lake – it’s a lovely walk and there are great views back to the Hall. The castellated building was probably built in the nineteenth century for Lady Tyrconnell.
Before heading into the Walled Garden, wander around the outside and see the site of a greenhouse, a meandering stream and the niches in the wall that would have originally been filled with bee hives probably made from willow or hazel.
And now for the Walled Garden – there’s a fascinating history of the gardens at Kiplin Hall in the potting shed.
The History of Kiplin Hall
The House was originally built as a Hunting Lodge c1625, for George Calvert, Secretary of State to James I. Calvert later became 1st Lord Baltimore and was granted a royal charter by Charles I to settle a region in the Americas which was later called Maryland. Calvert died five weeks before the Charter was sealed, leaving the settlement of the Colony to his son, Cecil.
In 1937, Bridge Elizabeth Talbot shared ownership of Kiplin Hall with her first cousin Sarah Turnor. Unsuccessful in their attempt to get the National Trust interested in buying the estate, Miss Talbot set up the Kiplin Hall Trust which took over the running of the place after Miss Talbot’s death in 1971. Miss Talbot was a fascinating woman – her history is told through photographs, letters and other documents in the house.
There’s a cafe on site and don’t miss the stall just outside the Walled Garden which has freshly picked fruit and veg for sale – we bought some absolutely delicious raspberries.
