Rose Garden

In 1883 a wealthy art dealer from Scarborough created a rose garden in the town. George Lord Beeforth owned a large area of the South Cliff, and established the garden near his home on the Esplanade. The two were linked by a lighted subway that ran under the current road. More than 14,000 bushes were said to be planted in formal beds across the plot.

Beeforth sold most of his land to Scarborough Corporation in 1912, including the rose garden, and it was opened to the public.

Over the years the garden fell into poor condition. Part of the problem was the shade caused by trees originally planted to shelter the area from sea winds and spray. By 2013 the area was very badly deteriorated and the Friends of South Cliff Gardens applied for a Heritage Lottery Fund grant to restore it.

The work took 15 months, during which drainage was improved, trees were pruned, new topsoil was imported, and 1,100 new rose bushes were planted. The site was officially re-opened last June.

Of course, we visited in January, so we didn't see it at its best; though the lack of foliage meant it was possible to get a clear view of the bedding plan and the layout of the garden.

And more...