Sunday 16th July 2017

I had been receiving a few mailings this past week telling me how nice the ‘National Collection of Water Lilies’ was looking at Burnby Hall Gardens in Pocklington, so with a free morning and the chance of a pot of tea and scone at the end of it, we headed off to Pocklington. It was a lovely morning, bright, dry with sunny spells 16C. We arrived just after 10am, I like to get here early and parked up as although there is a good car park it is a little on the narrow side, anyway, there were only three other cars parked in front of me so there was plenty of space, although when we left at about 1.30pm there was an attendant on the gate as the car park was as good as full. 

From the Visitors Centre we headed off around the lake in an anti-clockwise direction, I don’t know why but is seems the most convenient way to walk around the gardens. The lawns looked immaculate. For those who have never been to these gardens it is basically a beautifully kept garden with a massive pond in the centre, stocked full with some wonderful species of water lily, that many in fact that it houses the National Collection of Water Lilies, as well as the lilies the pond is well stocked with some several different species of Koi and Carp, they must be some of the most well fed fish in the country.

As you follow the footpath around the main lake, the fish seem to follow you, occasionally their heads pop out of the water as much to say ‘we are still here and we are hungry too!’ The water lilies are looking superb at the moment, the reds, whites and yellows seem to complement each other as they sit resting above the huge green leaves. Suddenly from in amongst the lily pads up pops a tiny little Moorhen, barely a little over a week old, quickly followed by another one, and another, playing a game of ‘tig’ as they run along on top of the lily pads chasing after their leader.

We continued our walk around the garden, stopping to look at the Doves nesting in the white Dovecote, they seem to be completely oblivious of all us tourists invading their space and especially to those eager people wanting to take selfies with them. We continued our stroll alongside the lake and stopped at the first bridge to take some photographs, another family of Moorhens were swimming and chasing each other amongst the lilies. Looking across the water there is a huge rockery which is undergoing a bit of a face lift at the moment, but still looked very impressive.  Continuing our walk around the lake we came to the ‘Stumpary’, a large garden circled by a huge collection of tree stumps, many with some wonderful carvings engraved into the exposed roots. At this point we were about half way round the gardens, there were some incredible works of art in the form of wild animals and birds in various places amongst the tree stumps and up the trees, all made from wire netting, very, very effective.

Now on the other side of the lake we headed back to the visitors centre through the rockery which is currently being re dressed and planting will start this autumn. There are lots of little tracks and paths that take you off on all sorts of small detours all with lovely views across the water, some of the ‘wire netting’ animals had been placed around the bolders to great effect. Nearer the centre and tea room we headed into the secret garden which was very pleasant ending up at the tea rooms for tea and scones. A lovely morning and a gem of a garden.