PUBLIC PLACES


The Gothic arch


other exotic species. What a spectacle would have greeted them; theatre indeed! We carried on walking past the small pond. “Not a pond,” Paul told me, “That was the cock pit!” Now it is a pond however and home to great crested newts. We continued and I learned more about the Menagerie House, designed by Robert Adam and where the “keeper” lived. It was hard to imagine this well cared-for area once contained a small zoo! Our walk continued back around the lake, over the bridge and up to the front of the house where we met all the team to take the essential team photo! Paul and I then continued through the old stable yard and round to the kitchen garden. Here we met Mark Westmoreland and found him preparing a garlic bed. What was most fascinating, however, was the rhubarb cultivation. Most have heard of West Yorkshire’s Rhubarb Triangle, a 9-square- mile area, famous for producing early forced rhubarb and Nostell is right at the tip! It’s clear that Mark is passionate about his job and is the resident expert, often giving tours


and talks. He explained that the forcing bed is based on a 300 year old principle and that maintaining the right temperature is crucial. In the old days, loads of manure was used, however woodchip, from estate pruning and maintaining sustainability, is now used and achieves the desired temperature. Mark opened up one of the five crowns in the bed and pulled out a digital thermometer: 34.6O inside and 9O


C C outside; perfect! I then


looked in to see how much growth had been achieved in a week. The photo shows the amazing speed of growth! Mark told me that he has his crop in three weeks; If only I liked rhubarb! The rhubarb (19 varieties grown) is just one of 130 different fruit and vegetables varieties produced in the Kitchen Garden. An amazing 270kgs of rhubarb are used in the café each year and, it seems, rhubarb scones are going down very well with visitors! Nothing goes to waste and, if the kitchens don’t take all, any surplus is offered to visitors for a donation!


The Kitchen Garden, where work to reinstate it began in 2012 following local funding, saw the planting of an apple


The Cock Pit Menagerie garden


orchard, using all Yorkshire apple varieties. This work was quickly followed by vegetable beds and other kitchen garden beds to provide the café with home grown fresh produce. Apart from the cost savings, the scheme has proved to be a hit, not only with the kitchen but visitors alike!


There is much more visitor interest now attending garden talks with many getting involved with hands-on work such as pruning. The “new” garden certainly is working and part of the staff development and student activities. Not that we saw flowers at this time of the year, but I can vouch for the wonderful displays in season, not forgetting non-edible bananas growing too! We then took a look at the amazing play area adjacent to the garden. It seems that there had always been a play area dating back to when the family managed the estate, but following safety concerns and some deterioration, a number of items were taken out of use. This led to a decline in visitor numbers, especially families needing play facilities. Something had to happen, so


Mark Westmoreland demonstrates rhubarb forcing 116 PC February/March 2020


Rhubarb growth after one week!


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