Meeting Nick Fraser From National Trust Property Nunnington Hall Gardens
In early March I was lucky enough to visit the gardens at Nunnington Hall in North Yorkshire.
The hall surrounded by the grounds is thought to have been built in the 16th Century and must be one of the most impressive country houses in England.
The gardens at Nunnington have been run organically since 2002 and continue to be a front-runner in alternative organic methods and technologies.
I met with Nick Fraser, the Head Gardener at Nunnington, for a tour of the grounds.
- KEY FEATURES: Cutting Garden, Wildlife Tunnel, Lime Avenue
- WHEN TO VISIT: Year Round
- ADMISSION PRICE: £11.00
- ADDRESS: Nunnington, near York, North Yorkshire, YO62 5UY
- WEBSITE: National Trust
History Of Nunnington Hall
“Nunnington Hall was left to The National Trust by the Fife family in the 1950s,” Head Gardener Nick Fraser shares.
“However, some of the family members stayed on here until the late 1970s, after which the Trust finally took over and we opened it up as the visitor attraction that you see today.
“The original layout that we see at Nunnington Hall dates back to the 17th century.
“The original topography of the land and the walls have gone through several changes over time, but the period we’re most interested in is the 1920s.
“This was when the Fife family were living here and there were major renovations through Walter Brearley across the house and the garden.”
Meet Nick Fraser – The Head Gardener
“I’ve been gardening here at Nunnington Hall for 21 years, originally as the assistant gardener, now I’m the head gardener,” explains Nick.
“What I like most about this garden and working for The National Trust is the diversity of the job – every single day is different.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen from one day to the next. We are open to the public on most days of the week, and we meet a whole range of very interesting people.
“Not only the staff and volunteers that work here with us in the garden and the house but also the visitors that come daily.”
The Gardens At A Glance
“My favourite area of the garden would have to be the meadow and orchard area,” shares Nick.
“What I like most about it is the fact that we get several different interests and experiences throughout the season.
“Eventually, at the end of the year, we cut the meadows down and then the fruit becomes the star of the show.
“We opened a small part of the garden about 15 years ago called the cutting garden, which was originally closed to the public,” he continues.
“It’s where we keep our composting system and cut flowers for the house, and more recently, we’ve been growing vegetables and herbs there.
“It’s very popular now to grow herbs and vegetables at home and lots of people are trying it out for themselves, so because we do it on a relatively small scale, people can relate to it.
“We wanted to try and maximise the use in a small garden, so we created a wildlife corridor in one of the smaller spaces of the garden.
“We put a bird feeding station and a habitat log wall with a turf top in and also planted a native mixed hedge.
“We also built some habitat piles and put hedgehog boxes up, as it’s a great way to show people that there’s still a lot of opportunities for wildlife in your garden, even in the smaller spaces.”
Six Bay Composting System
“We’re very passionate about composting here at Nunnington Hall,” says Nick.
“We try and recycle and reuse as much as possible. We’re very keen to have closed-loop systems, meaning that we try not to remove any waste from the garden.
“We try and utilise as much as possible to make our own compost, mulch, potting mixes and liquid feeds out of the comfrey and nettles that grow on-site, as well as the leaf mould that we collect in the car park.”
To see the full composting process that takes place at Nunnington Hall, watch the short video below:
Discover More
The garden at Nunnington will burst into life in a few weeks, so why not plan a visit there yourself?
Included in the entry for the garden is a tour of Nunnington Hall itself, so why not explore the historic building at the centre of the garden whilst you’re there?
Find out more about the gardens and house at Nunnington on the National Trust’s website.
