I was recently spending some time just close by to Scarborough. The sun shone on the first day so I went for a wander down to the sea. I saw a sign saying 'Secret Garden', but failed to find the garden. It was, indeed, a secret.
I enjoyed saying hello to the sea, as I am sure I have previously said I live almost as far from the coast as it is possible to live, so the sea is always exciting for me.
A day or two later during a conversation someone asked me if I had visited the secret garden. I explained I had not as I could not find it so they told me where it was. I decided to try again.
There were no easy ways that showed I had found the right place. There is a sign but it is set back actually in the garden so not seeable from the road. However, I was certain I had found it and I went in.
The garden opens up to a wide green space, I was drawn to the curved path leading upwards. I knew what it was as there was a photo framed in the hotel that showed this. I had thought the feature had gone as it could not find in the hotel grounds.; but here it was.
I decided to contain my curiosity as first I wanted to explore the path to the left. There was this pond which was very over grown and looked like it had a drainage function for the rest of the garden.
Once that was successfull explored I headed to the bridge.
I climbed up the steps, and whilst two lumps of stone are not enough to dissuade me from going further it looked overgrown on the other side. I decided I would not risk going over the top in case it was unsafe.
Under the bridge was a sort of grotto.
It looked like Robin Hood had visited recently, which was a little disturbing.
On I went until I found this. I thought it might be a bird house but could not see any way in.
This looked like it might have been a pond, maybe with a statue in the centre?
There was a raised bank around one side of the garden. It you look closely you can see the bench in this alcove
that looked back over the green sweep of the lawn.
You can see in the border at the base of the bank three yew trees what would have been topiaried at some point and I would suggest not all that long ago. Now it was very overgrown. I wondered what else might be in this border, I hoped roses but could not see any.
I was so glad I found the garden. It really felt like Frances Hodgson Burnett's Secret Garden, just waiting to be cared for again. I was so tempted to go and offer to move up there and garden it for them. So tempted, so so tempted......
But no, that is not going to be a thing. I am going to be visiting there again next May and of course I will see how it looks.
I am already excited at the thought.
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