Beautiful new book's stunning photos of the amazing trees in Harrogate's much-loved Valley Garden

Written by Jane Blayney, former chair of the Friends of Valley Gardens, with stunning photographs by Simon Hill, president of the Royal Photographic Society, the new full colour book offers a unique perspective on 30 special trees inside the much-loved 17-acre Victorian park.

Called A Guide to the Trees of Valley Gardens, Harrogate, it describes their origin, history, horticulture, mythology and usage over the 140 years or so since the park was opened in 1887 to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.

Part of the park’s unique character is provided by the vast variety of trees; some native to the British Isles while others hail from more exotic places.

The rich variety and heritage of trees in the Valley Gardens even surprised the author herself.

"Although I had lived in the Valley Gardens for decades, it wasn't until I became chair of the Friends of Valley Gardens that I realised the wealth and variety of trees it has,” said author Jane Blayney.

"One of the trees, the Wollemi Pine is particularly rare.

"Known as the "living fossil", the tree is believed to have originated from the Jurassic period around 200 million years ago.

A Guide to the Trees of Valley Gardens, Harrogate boasts a foreward by Martin Fish, a garden advisor at RHS Harlow Carr in Harrogate and president of the Friends of Valley Gardens.

"Jane’s enthusiasm and knowledge of the Valley Gardens, combined with Simon’s photographic skills, have culminated in a publication which offers a marvellous resource for visitors to Valley Gardens," said Martin.

"Not only does Jane tell us a little of the history and origin of each tree, she also talks about their benefits to wildlife and many fascinating facts associated with each tree."

The park’s roots actually go back all the way to 1841 when the Harrogate Improvement Act approved a footpath through Bogs Feld, providing access to the mineral springs.

In 1886 Harrogate Borough Council bought the land and launched a competition to create a 'Public Pleasure Grounds'.

Packed with fascinating information about individual trees in the Valley Gardens, the book offers a visual feast for the eyes courtesy of Simon Hill FBIPP HonFSIAD HonFRPS.

Editorial Photographer of the Year 2022, Hill's photographs of the colourful natural glory of the Valley Gardens are stunningly reproduced in the book, which is published by VIDAR Media Group.

The new book is not the first time the author has put pen to paper about the popular park.

In 2019 she co-wrote A Souvenir Guide to the Valley Gardens, Harrogate with Anne Smith, another former chair of the Friends of Valley Gardens.

Jane Blayney is keen the new book should serve to promote the Valley Gardens as a community space and a place which supports the biodiversity of the planet as part of Harrogate’s efforts on climate change.

She is grateful, in particular, to two figures who passed recently but were very supportive of the book – historian Malcolm Neesam and councillor Jim Clark.

The book is on sale in Waterstones in Harrogate and Moorland Nurseries on Forest Moor Road in Knaresborough.

It is also stocked by The North Yorkshire Record Office in Northallerton and is available online at www.valleygardensharrogate.org