Days Out: RHS Harlow Carr, Harrogate

Earlier this week my children and I went to RHS Garden Harlow Carr in Harrogate. It’s only a forty minute drive from where I live in Skipton and just a matter of minutes away from the centre of Harrogate.

It was a gorgeously sunny day so was perfect for ambling leisurely through the gardens.

One of the first sights was this carpet of wildflowers. I was absolutely mesmerised and stood for quite some time taking in the sight. I honestly don’t think I have ever seen such a beautiful display of flowers.

There were so many busy bees. Literally hundreds buzzing around. Such a good sight to behold.

Aged 14 and 12, my children, understandably weren’t quite as excited as I was about the prospect of the visit but they both enjoyed the open space and, perhaps without even realising, the tranquility and peace it afforded. They were particularly captivated by the fauna and my daughter took some brilliant photographs on her phone including the bee on the stunning orange flower below.

The vegetable garden was equally fascinating…

…I hadn’t seen an aubergine growing in this country before.

There’s a large Betty’s tearoom and Cafe. A Yorkshire institution, Betty’s is quaint, elegant and terribly British.

After much deliberating, I opted for a Yorkshire ham and Gruyere roll and homemade raspberry lemonade…

…and a fondant fancy. The children had a hot chocolate and a biscuit which didn’t last long enough for me to photograph.

After lunch I visited the gift shop which has garden section and a very good selection of books, candles, cards, candles and gifts.

We went on a sunny day in the summer holidays so the car parks were almost full and there were a lot of visitors. The gardens are so spacious though that it felt like I’d escaped into floral paradise. It didn’t feel at all busy.
We lunched quite early at Betty’s which we were glad about because the queue reached out of the door by the time we left, so that is worth considering especially if accompanied by permanently hungry children.
I enjoyed every moment of our visit and would love to see it throughout the different seasons. I’m fortunate to live just a short drive from RHS Harlow Carr.

This post was written in collaboration with Think Money, a brilliant website with lots of ideas for days out, all with a budget of £40.

Entrance costs £9.85 for adults and £4.95 for children aged 5-16, a total of £19.75 for us.

Our food and drinks in Betty’s cost £19.25, so the total cost for our day out was £39.00.