Harrogate’s Horticap opens revamped free nature trail
by
Sep 29, 2021
(L-R) Student Hannah, Lewis Stokes of The Banks Group, Horticap vice chairman Martin Reay, students Hannah and Callum, and operations manager Phil Airey.

A Harrogate nursery has reopened its free nature trail this week after a nine-month refurbishment of the grounds.

Horticap, which is based at Bluecoat Wood Nurseries on Otley Road, is a charity that provides adults with learning and other disabilities training in horticulture, allied crafts and rural skills.

Parts of the trail were badly churned during construction of a new tearoom and shop at Horticap, which opened earlier this year in June.

The Hopkins at Horticap cafe is named in honour of former Horticap student Peter Hopkins, who left his house in Bilton to the charity after he and his mother Marjorie died.

The Banks Community Fund, a Durham-based charity linked to The Banks Group, donated £5,000 to make the work possible.

The trail includes additional seating areas, interpretative boards and new pond screening.


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While a new sunken garden has been created to provides a social space that can be used by visiting schools and community groups.

The work has been led by Horticap’s operations manager Phil Airey, supported by local contractors and long-term supporters.

Some of the Horticap students were also able to assist when it was safe to do so.

The charity hopes the new facilities will extend its role in the local community.

Mr Airey said:

“The nature trail has always been really well used by our visitors, and we’ve now created something even better that we’re sure everyone’s going to love.

“It’s a very practical space with lots of interesting things to see and activities to undertake, and the extra facilities we’ve added have made it even more attractive.

“Involving some of our students in making these improvements has helped them develop new personal and workplace skills while also giving them an even greater sense of ownership.

“Without the generous funding that The Banks Group have provided, we’d have just had to tidy up the nature trail as best we could.”

Lewis Stokes, community relations manager at The Banks Group, said:

“Despite everything that’s been going on this year, the Horticap team has done an excellent job in improving what was already a great community asset.

“It’s brilliant to see all their hard work resulting in something so impressive.”