Long walks, short walks, dog walks, bluebell walks, walks in the rain, walks in the snow… the landscape at Harewood has all these walks and more…

A new walks booklet is now available to purchase from the Information Centre, Bookshop or House Desk at Harewood, with routes to discover more about this ancient landscape…

And a new guidebook written by David Lascelles, Lord Harewood with an updated history including new information we have learnt in recent years is available to buy at the House Desk, Information Centre and Bookshop.

Ask at the Information Centre next time you visit Harewood! Click here to see our opening times and prices…

The Olympic Torch arrived at Harewood yesterday in style, medieval-style!

On Day 2 of the Yorkshire leg of its journey through Britain, the Torch was led down the main drive to Harewood House by a mounted knight in full armour on Hawthorn, a Friesian stallion to celebrate the upcomingMedieval Faire.

Three runners took turns in carrying the torch down the drive, Jonny Johnston, Roy Leinster and finishing with Janet Baker presenting the torch to HRH Princess Beatrice of York and Lord & Lady Harewood who greeted the Torch on the front steps of the House along with an army of Harewood staff and visitors.

The press turned out in force, the Yorkshire Post have a great video on their website, view it in this page or go to their website here.

12 schools from across the region were also at Harewood, performing their responses to the Olympics, with a selection of sporting, dance and musical performances. HRH Princess Beatrice took the time to meet the children as they were preparing to perform in front of the House.

The winning school on the day, as judged by Stephen Davidson the High Sherriff of West Yorkshire and his wife Carol, was Highfield Primary School, Moortown. Their winning performance was created and performed by Mr Brassil’s Year 5 class, and was called “Olympic Play”. The judges loved the variety of their piece, and the pupils won an annual pass for the school to visit Harewood once a month for a year.

David Lascelles, Lord Harewood said: ‘As an educational charitable trust, we’re keen to encourage and involve children in our celebrations and it was inspirational to see their interpretation of what the Olympics means to them through their superb performances.  This is a moment in time for all of them and it’s been a pleasure to welcome Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice to be a part of our day today to celebrate the Torch’s arrival.’

Further images can be found on our Facebook page…

Since we’ve had all that rain and, now that the sun has come out, the vegetable crops are growing really well in the Walled Garden!

Releasing ladybirds

Simpson Lettuce

Carot-fly barrier protects crops without using chemicals

Globe Artichokes

Grape Vines in the Glasshouses (not currently accesible to visitor, but watch this space!)

Lettuce Rows

Onions growing well…

We’re using various organic techniques to prevent pests, including putting fine gauze around the carrot plots to act as a barrier against carrot root fly.

There are some interesting heritage varieties to be seen now too. On some of the indoor crops, instead of using chemicals to control pests such as ‘mealy bugs’ we are using a specially-bred ladybird which eats them!

Visit the Walled Garden at Harewood…

Read more about the Walled Garden including videos, recipes and more!

‘Himalaya’, ‘The Abode of Snow’, the vast range of mountain peaks which arc across Central Asia, has an extraordinary diversity of flora.

Alan Titchmarsh, who opened the garden in May 2009, said “The Harewood Himalayan Garden is a hidden gem and second to none in the UK. Tell your friends!”

Harewood’s Himalayan Garden, a redevelopment of the ‘Rock Garden’ nurtured by Princess Mary and her husband the 6th Earl of Harewood in the 1930s, is this extraordinary world in miniature, a plant-hunter’s paradise.

With paths through a gorge and a bridge across the beck, this is somewhere for all garden-lovers to visit, with primulas, orchids, cobra lilies, blue poppies and more than 50 kinds of rhododendron.

It is also home to the Harewood Stupa, a Buddhist monument built in 2004 by monks from the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. The Stupa is the only one of its kind in the UK.

Some rare and beautiful flowers you might be lucky enough to see in this exotic Garden if you visit in June…

Iris Meadow

Primula Meadow

Cobra Lilly

Bhutan Pine

Chinese False Spikenard

Big-leaved Magnolia

Large Yellow Slipper Orchid

Blue Poppy

Enjoy the Gardens this Summer at Harewood…!

Read more and see videos about the Gardens on our website…

In the strawberry patch in our Walled Garden there are absolutely loads of strawberries forming!

Strawberries – fruits flowering after pollination by the bumblebees!

There are only a few flowers left to be pollinated, the rest have been and the fruits are now forming and gradually dropping under their own weight down onto the straw mulch as they swell.

We just need the sun to come out and ripen them, then you’ll be able to buy your own fresh punnet from our shop…mmm!

Read more about our Gardens including videos and recipes on our website…