Column: Welcome back as lockdown starts to ease

We are blessed with a wonderful array of gardens in the Harrogate district.

These range from the National Trust properties of Beningbrough Hall, gallery and Gardens to the World Heritage Site of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden to the RHS splendour at Harlow Carr and one of the country’s most important and beautiful 20th century gardens at Newby Hall.

As the lockdown restrictions start to ease, we are welcoming the re-opening of these and many more glorious gardens across our district.

However, we ask that you do not turn up unprepared and that you plan your visit very carefully.

Many of the gardens in the district are operating ticketed entry, often within managed entry times to allow physical distancing at entrances.

So remember, before you travel please go online and find out how access to the gardens will operate and make sure that you will be able to enter the gardens when you arrive.

You will discover that not all the facilities you visit are open; cafes and tea rooms will still be closed and there may be no takeaway facilities.

In addition you may find that children’s playground’s will not be open, so it is vitally important that you check out which facilities will be open at your destination and take the appropriate items that you and your family will need for your day out.

The safety of visitors, staff and volunteers at all the gardens remains the number one priority.

Social distancing rules will be in place at these visitor attractions so please ensure that you have read and that you understand all the rules before you enter – protection for everyone is paramount.

RHS Harlow Carr opened their garden gates on Monday, June 1, followed by the Himalayan Garden and the Sculpture Park at Grewelthorpe and the gardens at Beningbrough Hall.

Newby Hall opened their gardens for general admission at the weekend, followed by Fountains Abbey on Monday, June 8.

If you are planning to spend a day in the countryside, please be aware that many of our better-known ‘remote’ locations have been experiencing considerably higher interest on the Visit Harrogate website www.visitharrogate.co.uk than is usual, so think twice about travelling at this time.

If you do decide to head out for a walk or a picnic to the area please be mindful, respect the countryside and the communities who live there and be prepared to take your litter home with you.

This is really important and it means that we can keep our wonderful part of Yorkshire looking its glorious best.

Also, just remember to plan and prepare for your visit to the countryside and, where possible, try to avoid relying on local facilities, many of which are still closed.

Much of Harrogate and district is rural and the very things that make the area so special also make it vulnerable to the consequences of Covid-19.

As our district slowly starts to re-open, Visit Harrogate will keep you up to date on what’s happening and continue to share some of the more interesting stories and secrets that make the Harrogate District such a great place to visit.

So, make sure you check our website regularly www.visitharrogate.co.uk and follow us through our social media channels.