Volunteer Gardeners Welcome At Whitby Youth Hostel

COMMUNIY INTEREST VOLUNTEER GARDENERS WELCOME AT WHITBY YOUTH HOSTEL

Whitby Youth Hostel sits at the top of the 199 steps, next door to the Abbey. It is a flagship hostel, popular with families and school groups throughout the year, and normally buzzing with activity.

The hostel has an enclosed garden which is maintained and developed by a dedicated team of volunteer gardeners. The structure of the garden was already in place when volunteers were asked to restore the Physic Garden, using medicinal and culinary herbs which would have been familiar to the monks at the Abbey. The small group pooled their ideas, leaning heavily on the expertise of one of their members, local woman Elaine Hoyle. Once the herb garden was planted up, it was decided to tackle the main garden, restoring the hedging and replanting the beds. Around the central lawn are four quadrants with bay trees, roses and flowers. There is an area especially for the benefit of bees and butterflies, a wildflower meadow, the herb garden backed by trained apple and pear trees, a marine bank, a scented garden and a moorland area, while bushes and trees including figs, quince, gooseberry, redcurrant and blackcurrant provide plenty of fruit for making jam or puddings. During the lockdowns of the pandemic the gardeners were unable to continue, but they have been working hard to restore order since the reopening. The garden will again be open to the public on Wednesdays from 10.00-3.00 from the beginning of September. The current team of gardeners work on Wednesdays at a variety of tasks – everything from dead-heading the roses to weeding the paths, clipping the box hedges to planting new herbs. No-one is ‘in charge’; if a member feels that something could be improved, the whole group decides what should be done.

It is a fabulous place to spend time, with beautiful views, satisfying tasks and good company. Keen gardeners are always welcome to come along to see the garden and meet the team to decide if they would like to become a volunteer. Contact whitbymanager@yha.org.uk for more details.