One of York’s favourite historic homes and gardens is about to reopen – and residents can get in free!
Hidden away on the edge of York racecourse is Goddards, the former home of the Terry family, part of York’s chocolate heritage.
Now a regional office for the National Trust, the garden is open to visit from March to October.
It was closed during the January Residents’ Festival. So the National Trust are making Goddards’ opening weekend free to locals.
Bring a photo ID showing your address on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 March and residents of YO postcodes can enjoy free entry.
The five-acre gardens are arranged in a series of garden rooms, a nod to the Arts and Crafts movement that inspired the architecture of the house.
The formality of the terrace and pond are striking with herbaceous borders and fragrant garden ready to burst into colour when the weather warms.
In spring expect daffodils to be opening their cheery heads and tulips to follow on. Further into the garden it’s easy to imagine how the family lived with a tennis lawn perfect for games, a small kitchen garden and glasshouse.
The lower parts of the garden take on an altogether different feel, wilder and informal, a haven for insects and sheltering wildlife.
New to see
New to see, but very much an original part of the garden, is a series of statues, including a pair of griffins, a pair of pelicans and a set of urns.
They were originally acquired by Noel and Kathleen Terry and family and placed in their garden at Goddards; probably in the 1930s.
The statues were removed from the garden on the sale of the house to the National Trust in 1984 and relocated to the gardens of other family members; In time, kindly returned by the Terry family to their original home after nearly 40 years.
Tom Longridge, Senior Gardener said, “It was thanks to an old black and white photograph in the archives and a painting by Betty Terry as a little girl that we were able to position the pieces with confidence”.
Full details of what to expect and to plan your visit can be found on the website. Free entry to National Trust members and under-fives or from £6.50 per adult.
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