Grantley Hall
Photo: Humphrey Bolton / CC BY-SA 2.0, modified.
Overview
The Japanese Garden at Grantley Hall is an early twentieth-century Japanese-style garden in the grounds of Grantley Hall near Ripon. Historic England states that the garden was probably created under the direction of Lady Furness sometime around 1910, certainly after 1908. Grantley Hall’s own history identifies Lady Jane Furness as the designer and says the garden was created using rocks from Brimham Rocks.
History
The Grantley estate was sold in 1900 to Sir Christopher Furness, later Baron Furness of Grantley. Historic England notes that Sir Christopher extensively remodelled the house and grounds, and that the Japanese Garden was probably created under the direction of Lady Furness around 1910. Grantley Hall’s own material also dates the Japanese Garden to around 1910 and connects it to Lady Jane Furness.
The garden was later incorporated into the grounds of Grantley Hall’s modern hotel estate. The Japanese Garden Society notes that the garden was restored in 2020/2021 and that entry is for hotel guests and diners only.
Design features
The garden includes large rocks, ponds, a stream, waterfall, stepping stones, mosses, ferns, trees and bamboo. Grantley Hall states that the rocks came from nearby Brimham Rocks. The Japanese Garden Society also describes the garden as having massive rocks, a pond, waterfall and Japanese artefacts.
Garden elements
Bridges
Waters and islands
Stones
Other elements
Current status
Extant and restored historic Japanese garden within the grounds of Grantley Hall, now a luxury country house hotel. The garden is separately registered at Grade II on the Register of Parks and Gardens. It was restored as part of the wider renovation of Grantley Hall and is now maintained as a hotel garden. Public access is restricted; the Japanese Garden is generally accessible to hotel guests and diners rather than as a freely open public garden.