Pilmoor Cottages With Owners Wendy and Chris Jakeman: The Garden With Its Own Railway

Pilmoor Cottages are home to a private garden in Yorkshire that has its own railway running through the 2 acres of land.

Yes – you can ride on a train that takes you around the property and the stunning gardens that its owners, Wendy and Chris Jakeman, have spent years creating.

I travelled to visit this unique garden for myself at the start of April.

The Miniature Railway

One of the biggest features of this garden is the railway which runs alongside a real railway track, which has been in operation since 1843, as Wendy explains:

“The garden was a British Rail property with workers living in all the cottages and we bought it in 1975. Chris has done up the houses one after the other and we’ve both gardened it together.”

“I’ve always had an interest in model railways ever since childhood,” says Chris.

“As I grew up, I got the opportunity and had space in this garden to put one in, so I built one!

“When you travel around the garden on the train, you’re going quite slow, so you notice things you maybe wouldn’t see when you’re just walking past.”

Japanese Inspired Elements

Chris and Wendy have spent years planting up their garden into distinguished areas and their love for a certain style is evident throughout, as Chris shares:

“I’ve got an interest in Japanese-style gardening and I’ve recently created a gravel garden that is an homage to that.”

In the plantings throughout the garden, there is a real love for Japanese plants and combinations on display.

There are plenty of Acers throughout the space, as well as a waterfall – which is the last thing you see as you head into the tunnel from riding the train.

Exploring The Garden

In April, there was plenty to see at Pilmoor Cottages, with many plants looking their best and flowering well.

“The blossoms are out on the Prunus and there’s a couple of Pieris that are very nicely coloured,” shares Wendy.

“Crown Imperials are just about coming towards the end of their flowering period and the herbaceous borders are just starting to liven up,” adds Chris.

“There’s a dozen apple trees in the garden that were all here when we came to the property,” he continues.

“I’ve had to do some drastic pruning to a lot of them, as really old apple trees grow quickly as they don’t have the dwarfing rootstocks.”

The main borders in the garden have been designed for autumn colour, but there’s plenty of colour in spring to see too, such as heathers, camassias and more acers.

Visiting The Garden

“When I stopped full-time work, we started to go and visit the NGS gardens on the weekend,” shares Chris.

“Eventually we thought maybe we could open our own garden, so we did, and we love it.”

If you’re interested in visiting Pilmoor Cottages to see the unique railway and beautiful plantings, Chris and Wendy are opening up the garden through the National Garden Scheme on the 27th May 2024.

For more information on future open days and to book your tickets, head over to the NGS website.