Walking through the gardens is like taking a horticultural history tour
The delightful 12-acres that surround this Grade II* 16th-century stately home are the icing on what is already a very special cake, winning the Hall a coveted spot in The Times' top places to stay with great gardens. Walk down the herbaceous borders planned out by Princess Mary, wander through the woodland walk, visit the stunning glasshouse and kitchen garden before a stroll up the Lime Tree Walk, planted by royalty in the 1920s. The gardens have been awarded the coveted title of Best Business/Tourism 2024 by Yorkshire in Bloom.
Garden Openings and Tours
The gardens at Goldsborough Hall are open to the public on selected dates. All tickets must be purchased before arrival via our website. Note: the Hall is a private house and at times is closed due to exclusive events. No entry will be permitted without a valid ticket.
National Garden Scheme: Goldsborough Hall continues the tradition started by Princess Mary of opening the gardens twice a year as part of the National Garden Scheme.
Snowdrops: The Hall also opens the gardens throughout February for snowdrops as well as two Snowdrop Sundays.
Hall’s guests and residents: afternoon tea & lunch guests and Hall residents are free to stroll around the royal gardens at their leisure.
Guided Tours: the Hall also offers private guided tours for groups throughout the season (£24.50pp for a minimum of 10). Included in the garden tour is tea and a fresh cream scone served in the Hall, along with a garden guide and a history talk on the house.
View our What’s On page for date information
Open Gardens & Tours
View dates when the gardens and house are open to view
Blog posts
Find out more about our Kitchen Garden, projects and the latest news from our Estate team
What to see in the gardens
Kitchen garden and glasshouse at Goldsborough Hall
Herbaceous borders
Rose garden & balustrade borders
Historic Lime Tree Walk
Kitchen garden & glasshouse
Woodland Walk
British and Yorkshire champion trees
History of the Gardens
The fascinating story of the gardens began in the 1750s when the landscaped grounds were set out in the style of Capability Brown.
Princess Mary made her mark in the 1920s, following her marriage to Viscount Lascelles, son and heir of the 5th Earl of Harewood, initiating a raft of improvements in both the house and gardens.
While the hall was remodelled by architect Sidney Kitson, a vista was created in the gardens with a walled terrace, beech avenue and herbaceous borders around Princess Mary’s sundial.
In 1922, Her Royal Highness and Viscount Lascelles planted the first tree in the Lime Tree Walk with the remaining 33 trees, planted by honoured guests, including King George V and Queen Mary. The gardens were first shared with the public on July 4th 1928 when Princess Mary opened them as part of the newly created National Garden Scheme.
Among the many highlights are a copse of five Japanese cherry trees, given to Princess Mary as a wedding gift by the Emperor of Japan; 120ft-long herbaceous borders replanted in a Gertrude-Jekyll style; the quarter-of-a-mile Lime Tree Walk, host to more than 50,000 daffodils in the spring; the woodland walk; and an ancient false acacia, a pair of purple-leaved plums and a rare whitebeam, all officially recorded as British Champions by national charity the Tree Register.
