Date – 4 June 2024
Time – 12:00 am
The Northern Branch will be holding a visit to the Lower Ure Conservation trust and the Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park near Ripon on Tuesday 4th June.
Lower Ure Conservation Trust
Tarmac Nosterfield Sand and Gravel Quarry Visitor Centre https://maps.app.goo.gl/3RQSskwX8DnJV41PA
Meeting place will be at the Nosterfield Quarry visitor centre off the B6267, 9 km north of Ripon. (See Map)
Time: Meet for 10.30am in the quarry car park.
The Lower Ure Conservation Trust is a charity dedicated to the restoration of once productive sand and gravel quarries to varied, wildlife-rich habitats. They run Nosterfield Nature Reserve, near Ripon, now widely regarded as one of the best examples of wetland grassland in the North of England.
The reserve is home to a range of notable wild flowers including Mudwort Limosella aquatica, Golden
Dock Rumex maritimus, Rugged Stonewort Chara rudis, Clustered Stonewort Tolypella glomerata, Common Twayblade Neottia ovata, Northern Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza purpurella, the rare Autumn Lady’s Tresses Spiranthes spiralis, Thistle Broomrape Orobanche reticulata and the Great Fen Sedge Cladium mariscus, known from just a handful of ancient wetlands in Yorkshire.
Since 2018, the Trust’s nursery at Nosterfield Quarry, has been growing local-provenance wild plants for habitat creation projects, concentrating on fen and calcareous grassland species. Laurie and Pan Thoresby, Nosterfield’s lead horticulturists have been instrumental in developing novel strategies to improve the germination and establishment of some of the trickier species, and will share their learnings with us, find out more here: https://youtu.be/ntd_xEp67-M
Lunch at the Himalayan Garden (not provided).
The Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park
Hutts Lane, Ripon HG4 3DA https://www.himalayangarden.com/
Inspired by the Himalayas, the 45-acre park and garden is home to over 20,000 plants, including one of the North’s largest collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias. The terrain undulates with steep paths in some areas, meandering through 45 acres of woodlands, gardens, an arboretum, and alongside tranquil lakes with a multitude of wildlife. Seasonal highlights will include Primulas, the blue poppy: Meconopsis.
Discover 90 striking sculptures in this open-air gallery. Each sculpture has been chosen and positioned within the landscape in a way that relates to everything around them; the weather, light, vegetation and the close and long-distance views. It is an active relationship, with each sculpture focusing, intensifying and animating its environment.
Head Gardener Joel Dibb will lead our tour of the Garden.
Cost: Members £10, Guests £15, cash on the day please or by prior bank transfer.
RSVP: Jason Daff via email: northern@horticulture.org.uk
All members, guests and students are welcome to join this visit, please get in touch if you are interested in arranging car sharing opportunities.