Aysgarth Edwardian Rock Garden: A Story of Creation and Re-Creation

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Although James died in 1869, his company flourished as it became fashionable to create Alpine corners in the grounds of stately homes. The company's best-known construction is a 30ft high replica of the Matterhorn mountain in a garden in Henley - the late Beatle George Harrison was its last owner. Hawes is a popular market town in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire and is regarded as one of the honeypot tourist attractions of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Standing between Buttertubs and Fleet Moss, the town is an excellent centre for walking and touring Wensleydale and the adjoining dales of Swaledale, Cotterdale, Dentdale, Garsdale, Wharfedale and Chapel-le-Dale. Take a walk around the Hawes Town Trail, Millennium Walk, Pennine Way or along the River Ure, which is nearby. In 1998 Hawes was awarded the English Tourist Board Silver Award for the "Best Day Trip Out". Modern traffic has long replaced coaches and horse drawn wagons along its narrow streets, but market day (Tuesdays) in Hawes is as busy as ever, with a farmers’ auction attracting sheep farmers from all over the north of England. Traditional shops, cafés and inns now cater for a variety of Dales visitors as well as the local community. The award-winning Wensleydale Creamery, made famous by the animated Wallace and Grommit films, is now open to visitors so that they can see the famous cheese being made and sample the end product in a welcoming café. In the old station yard you will find the busy National Park Centre and Dales Countryside Museum. The Museum is home to the magnificent collection of Dales artefacts by the two great Dales historians and writers, Marie Hartley and Joan Ingilby. We've just received Listed Building consent to install Heritage wooden frame double glazing which should resolve any road noise concerns ,and keep us warm in the Dales winters , and this should be fitted by next year.

The hamper, which was left out for us, was such a nice gesture, too. We stayed in the gothic room, and the bed was so comfy! If you are thinking of getting the extended family together - this is a wonderful place to do it. Already recommended it to friends.Even at the height of summer, it is always cool in here with the north facing aspect," says Angela. Nestled in amongst the pretty surroundings of the Yorkshire Dales National Park in Bainbridge near Hawes, discover this Grade-II listed four-bedroom cottage, Manor House. But no one was allowed inside to see what had been created. "Locals who remember Frank all say they were not welcome in his garden," says Angela. "People who were then children recall his wife rapping on the windows of Heather Cottage if they so much as touched the railings."

Locally there must have been a large population of teenage lads with air rifles," says Angela, "because we keep finding decapitated gnomes everywhere."It's perfectly located to access all that the Dales has to offer and I'd highly recommend a stay here to groups of friends and families alike! Specialists with cranes were called in to clear the garden. "There were some interesting ferns left behind, some ramonda and a juniper tree, and some beautiful cushion saxifrage, but not as much as you would think," says Angela. If you can tear yourself away, begin your adventures at Hardraw Force Waterfall, before heading to the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes; here, you will also find plenty of pubs and restaurants so you can refuel before continuing on with your itinerary. Boasting period features throughout, a woodburning stove and great proximity to a range of attractions, Manor House welcomes up to eight guests to enjoy a peaceful getaway in North Yorkshire. The Jauneikas stumbled upon the property in 1998. "We were following the dream," she says. "We both worked in computers, we were starting a family and we were asking ourselves 'where do we want to settle down'.

The first stage is learning to cope with what we have now got," she says. "I have got to get through a whole year to see how the weeds come up and how the plants survive and to find out how time-consuming it is going to be." On the A684 at the western end of Aysgarth village, about 200 metres before the Thornton Rust turning. Public access during daylight hours. Donations box.

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Meanwhile, in Aysgarth, Frank Sayer Graham (1859-1946) was making money. He farmed silver fur rabbits in his purpose-built warren at Lady Hill just outside the village. He could kill a rabbit in Aysgarth at 9am and it would arrive, frozen, in London on the 4pm train. From there the fur would go to the great fashion houses of Europe - he is said to have supplied the last tsar of Russia with silver fur for a stole. The accommodation was really impressive, we loved the antique furniture and the decor in each room was all so tastefully chosen. Completing the ground floor is a handy shower room where you can wind down for the day, or beat the queues of a morning. In the homely sitting room, catch up on your favourite shows or relish a movie night on the Smart TV, if you’re seeking some much-needed alone time, an additional wood pannelled snug provides the perfect spot to get lost in a good book as the log burner roars away. Sayer-Graham was also a keen horticulturist. He planted fields of tulips and daffodils as well as at least two plantations of trees around Aysgarth, and set up his own nursery next door to his home, Heather Cottage.