It is many many years since I visited Temple Newsome, so I was quite looking forward to having a walk around the gardens and parkland today with M & G. The parkland was designed by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown for the 9th Viscount Irwin in the 1760’s, so they are steeped in history. We headed for the walled garden after a walk alongside the lake. The first thing that struck me was how full and colourful the borders where. I have quite an interest in gardens though am by no means a plants man The guide says that there are some 800 yards of herbaceous borders, rose beds and herbs. The displays are stunning and Leeds City Council who own the house and gardens have done a superb job of maintaining them.

The collections of Delphinium, hardy Korean Chrysanthemums, Phlox and Aster are displayed within the borders and there are several collections of roses laid out in beds inside the garden, the scent wafting in the air as you walk past them. 

Until 1922 all the fruit and vegetables for the landowner were grown here, after the park was bought by the Council it was a short-lived zoo and then re-landscaped as a rose garden. Last year for the first time in almost 100 years vegetable growing was reintroduced.

Sadly within an hour of us being there it started to rain, checking our rain apps it was quite apparent that if we stayed out much longer we would get drenched so we headed to the car for the thirty minute journey home, it is not much fun walking around with two wet soaking dogs. We will definitely try and visit again sometime next week once the weather forecast looks more favourable.