Breezy Knees Gardens is one of the most beautiful gardens in North Yorkshire. From brilliant borders to vibrant blooms, it is a York hidden gem you don’t want to miss! Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about visiting Breezy Knees Gardens.
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About Breezy Knees Gardens
The beautiful gardens at Breezy Knees are the highlight of summer. They may only be a short drive from York, but a stroll around these tranquil gardens feels a million miles from the bustling city centre.
The gardens are packed with vibrant blooms and a spectacular show of colours. Walking through the gardens is like stepping into a work of art.
Here is everything you need to know about visiting Breezy Knees Gardens. Plus, the highlights you don’t want to miss on your visit.
Where is Breezy Knees Gardens?
Breezy Knees is in North Yorkshire. You will find the gardens seven miles northeast of York. The gardens are a 20-minute drive from York city centre.
Why visit Breezy Knees Gardens?
Breezy Knees Gardens is easily one of the most beautiful gardens in North Yorkshire. The gardens bloom in vibrant colours and carefully curated sections. Each garden is wonderfully themed and transports you seamlessly from one pretty garden to the next.
The gardens are the perfect place to explore on a sunny day. It has a tranquil feel and is the ideal place to unwind on a lazy summer afternoon!
When is Breezy Knees Gardens open?
Breezy Knees Gardens are open annually from the 1st of May until the 30th of September.
You can visit the gardens Tuesday to Sunday during the open months. They are open from 10.30am until 5.00pm (last entry 3.30pm).
How to get to Breezy Knees Gardens
Car: There is a car park available on site. Simply navigate to YO19 5XS and follow the signposts to locate it.
Bus: Take the Coastliner 843 from York train station. Travel 26 stops to Sandy Lane. Once you get off the bus, there is a 15-minute walk via Common Lane to reach the gardens.
Train: York train station is the closest major station. York train station is easily accessible via the rail network from many cities throughout the UK. From York city centre, take a 20-minute taxi ride to the gardens, or follow the bus directions outlined above. Find tickets via Trainline.com.
Breezy Knees Gardens Cafe
If you’re feeling peckish, be sure to visit the cafe! The Breezy Knees Gardens Cafe menu features hot and cold drinks, cakes and pastries, afternoon tea plus soups, quiches, sandwiches and more each lunchtime.
There is a combination of indoor and outdoor seating available at the cafe.
Breezy Knees Gardens Highlights
Breezy Knees Gardens spans an impressive 20 acres. And within that space, you have 20 themed gardens waiting to explore.
Every garden you explore is breath-taking. Each one is vibrant and colourful and has such a relaxing feel to it.
I strongly recommend you set aside at least a couple of hours to explore all the gardens. However, here are a few of my personal favourites that you don’t want to miss!
Rabbit Path
The first section of Breezy Knees Gardens you will encounter is the adorably named Rabbit Path. This cute and colourful section features a combination of vibrant borders and delicate wildflowers.
It is easy to see where the name comes from. It isn’t hard to picture cute rabbits hopping along the route! The Rabbit Path looks like it came straight from the pages of a Beatrix Potter story!
Meadow
One of the first sections you enter is the Annual Meadow. I adore wildflower meadows and I loved exploring the one at Breezy Knees.
There are paths you can follow through the meadow, so you don’t ruin the plants, but still gives you the chance to get amongst them to admire the pretty flowers and the wildlife. It is a hotspot for bees and butterflies!
There is also a bench you can sit on if you want to spend some time admiring the sweeping meadow. It is a peaceful spot to sit and watch the world go by!
Seasonal Gardens
One thing I really loved about Breezy Knees Gardens was the seasonal gardens. These gardens are specifically planted to bloom at various times of year. This means you will always experience part of the garden looking its best, no matter when you visit!
There are seasonal gardens designed to bloom in May, June, and September, so you can co-ordinate your visit when each is in full bloom. It’s a great excuse to visit multiple times and see each section on full display!
Stonehedge
Stonehedge is one of the most entertaining sections in the gardens!
This replica of the druid circle Stonehenge is made from carefully pruned hedges. It recreates the iconic shape of the heritage site, only greener!
And the name is brilliant too!
Double Border
My absolute favourite section of Breezy Knees Gardens was the Double Border. This vibrant and enchanting display is lined with colourful borders either side (hence the name!) so you feel like you’re walking through a remote valley.
The Double Border felt like a true escape from everything. Especially as we were lucky enough to have it to ourselves on our visit.
We walked the length of the Double Border a few times because it really stole my heart! You will find the most dramatic display and vibrant flowers in this section.
Yorkshire Fountain
I didn’t know much about Breezy Knees Gardens before we visited, but I did know they had a Yorkshire rose fountain! This was one of the sights I was desperate to see when we planned our visit.
The white rose is an iconic symbol of Yorkshire, and Breezy Knees has a creative way to use it – as the base of their fountain!
The fountain projects water periodically throughout the day. If it isn’t on when you arrive just take a seat as it is sure to go off in a few minutes time. This gives you an opportunity to admire the rose that sits beneath the fountains, plus the beautiful water display when the fountains are in action.
Lake
One of the final spots we visited was the lake. The lake is a tranquil spot and perfect if you’re looking for somewhere to sit and unwind.
Take a stroll around the lake to admire it from all angles. If you’re lucky, the seat on the land that juts out into the centre of the lake will be free. This is an incredibly peaceful place to sit, surrounded by water on three sides!
Funny Signs
One cute little detail I loved about the gardens is the funny signs dotted around. It is easy to miss these entertaining signs while you are soaking up the vibrant flowers, but you don’t want to miss them! Someone has a great sense of humour and a passion for puns!
What hotels are near Breezy Knees Gardens?
Breezy Knees Gardens is conveniently located on the outskirts of York. It is the ideal location for a quiet, peaceful escape, just a short distance from the city sights. This makes it the perfect area to stay for a getaway.
Here are the best hotels near Breezy Knees Gardens:
- Church View B&B & Holiday Cottages (1.6 miles)
- York Holiday & Cycle Stop (1.8 miles)
- Upper Helmsley Hall (1.8 miles)
- River View (3.3 miles)
- Lilac Tree Cottage (4.6 miles)
Before you go
So, here is everything you need to know about visiting Breezy Knees Gardens. Are you planning a visit to these spectacular gardens? I’d love to hear about it! Let me know about your plans in the comments below!
And if you want more Yorkshire gardens inspiration, download your free Yorkshire Gardens Checklist for a list of the top 20 must-visit gardens in the region! How many have you visited?
Until our next adventure,
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Hello, I’m Hannah! I’m a writer and photographer who loves experiencing the wonders of Yorkshire. My guides will help you escape from your daily routine by showing you that you don’t have to go far to find an adventure.
I must admit to being intrigued just by the name of Breezy Knees Garden. With all the beautiful colours it looks like a great spot to visit in Yorkshire when it is open. How fun that they included a meadow in the design. A relaxing day trip if you are staying in the area.
Breezy Knees is a great name, isn’t it? It’s certainly memorable! It is a beautiful garden to explore in the summer months! The meadow was so lovely! I can’t resist a beautiful wildflower meadow! They had dedicated such a large space to it too which was lovely to see! It was a great place to unwind!
Wow, what a beautiful garden! I love how many unique components the garden has in it. I would love to visit in May, June, or September to see the seasonal garden in full bloom, and I’d love to take a photo by the gorgeous fountain too.
Breezy Knees is certainly one of the most beautiful gardens in Yorkshire! They have done a great job creating so many unique gardens in the space! The seasonal gardens are a great excuse to visit several times throughout the year! It would be great to see each of them in their prime! The fountain was stunning too! I hope you get a chance to visit!
The gardens are so different and stunningly beautiful, so I completely agree with you that one should definitely see all twenty !
I agree! I think Breezy Knees has done a great job of creating so many varied gardens in the space! It was fun weaving backwards and forwards around the site to see them all!
Another gorgeous garden share from the ultimate Yorkshire blog! Thanks for sharing.
Breezy Knees is such a spectacular garden, isn’t it? Thanks so much for reading!