Just off Palace Road, leading out of Ripon towards the Yorkshire Dales, is an undiscovered gem. An historic walled garden, originally created to supply the kitchens of the historic Bishops Palace, has now been turned to a different purpose – and is the beating heart of a small local charity.
Ripon Walled Garden had fallen into disrepair but it was brought back to life as a joint venture by Barnardos and Community Link in 1992 as a site for therapeutic horticulture. Today, Ripon Community Link own and operate the site independently and continue to care for and develop this wonderful place.
With a bespoke programme designed to suit each individual’s needs, Ripon Community Link supports people with learning and/or physical disabilities to gain and improve their skills. Members are offered practical experience in horticulture, retail and catering.
And there is plenty of scope for all types of learning experiences at the four-acre site, which includes herbaceous borders, raised cut flower and vegetable beds, an apple orchard, woodland area and beehives. Guided by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers, members can learn general garden care, grow plants for sale in the Garden Centre as well as producing the fruit and vegetables required for a ‘plot to plate’ approach for the new café.
I spotted a young man proudly carrying in a large dish of freshly chopped carrots which, he informed me with a broad grin, were destined for the soup of the day. All the members are encouraged and supported to practice their social skills, something which is seen as just as important as stock control and money management in the shop. Customers will always find a willing volunteer to carry purchases to their cars and service with a smile is the order of the day.
The café has built up a dedicated local following with milkshakes, sandwiches, wraps, toasties, scones, cakes, ice cream - from Brymor Dairy, the home of real Yorkshire ice cream - and other sweet treats. Whether you are in search of a morning coffee, lunch or afternoon tea, there is something to tempt.
Apples harvested from the Victorian orchard are pressed into juice and other fruit grown on site is made into delicious jams and chutneys for sale in the shop that shares the building with the café. It stocks a wide range of mainly handcrafted items and is just the place to look for that special gift.
The newly built Woodland Lodge is used for activities with a focus on independent living, health and wellbeing. These include numeracy, literacy, arts and crafts, drama and singing. The choir performs at Ripon Cathedral’s annual Sights and Sounds event and is becoming well known for its speciality, Singing and Signing. Members are also given the opportunity to go off site to visit local shops, museums and the library as well as for swimming and sports. Some have attended golf sessions at prestigious Rudding Park.
Community integration is a key point of the charity. Well known for its strong environmental values and partnership with Ripon in Bloom, RCL not only contributes to their displays but also provides plants and a watering service for the cathedral and local businesses. Members also collect recycling from these.
Other strong partnerships are with the National Trust’s Skell Valley project and Evolve, a college for 16-25-year-olds. It runs regular coffee mornings as well as taking part in local fetes, special celebrations such as V.E. Day and activities at Ripon Library, all with the idea of overcoming barriers to disability by ensuring members are part of and actively contribute to the community.
Special events are held throughout the year, including the popular Apple Day where members of the public can bring their own fruit for pressing. Sales follow the seasons too; hanging baskets appear in late spring/early summer and Christmas trees, delivered locally and then collected for recycling, are available from the end of November. Workshops on everything from photography to tree pruning are open to the public.
In between times, visitors can enjoy the green spaces of the site as well as Ripon Walled Garden itself. And they would be in good company as 19th century author Lewis Carroll also spent time there during the years his father was a canon of Ripon Cathedral.
There is no entry charge to Ripon Walled Garden but donations are always welcome. Fundraising is ongoing to repair and repoint the west wall.
riponcommunitylink.org
