In the summer of 2022, we secured a contract to supply the new walled garden at Rockliffe Hall, a five-star AA hotel, golf and spa resort in Darlington.
The Rockliffe Hall Walled garden had fallen into disrepair, initially constructed in 2017 and brought back to life during the summer of 2022.
The pandemic and winter weather created setbacks but the garden has now been revitalised for guests and staff to enjoy.
The garden team at Rockliffe worked hard to restore the walled garden, with gardens manager, Phil Mennell, calling upon Johnsons to supply and enhance the garden with over 350 Taxus baccata hedging plants, numerous taxes baccata cones and balls, espaliered fruit trees, herbaceous plants, currents and a selection of herbs all of which are ideally positioned near the hotel’s ten beehives, which help with the pollination of the walled garden.
The Taxus baccata (Yew) hedging also creates a parterre garden within the walls, a centrepiece seating area and includes pathways, raised beds full of produce, cut flowers and walls lined with fruit trees which include gooseberries, apples, raspberries, redcurrants, and plums.
The newly restored walled garden opened in June 2022 and is now being used to service the hotel’s three award-winning kitchens and restaurants where guests can now enjoy home-grown seasonal produce on their plates from tomatoes, onions, chillies, garlic, garden peas, green beans, cucumbers, rhubarb and many other fruit and vegetables.
Phil Mennell, estates and gardens manager at Rockliffe Hall Hotel, said: “It’s great to see the walled garden flourishing again after an extensive refurbishment programme throughout the winter season. The team have been delighted with the quality of organic produce harvested during the summer, and we can’t wait to enjoy our first full year in 2023.”
