Welcome to Thorp Perrow

Come and take a stroll in the Arboretum, watch your children let off steam in the adventure playground, enjoy the wonderful Bird of Prey displays, or hand feed the wallabies in the Mammal Centre. We have a lot to offer the whole family – keep your eyes peeled for our fun seasonal trails, family event days, open-air concerts, workshops, lunches, and guided tours.

Thorp Perrow is the home of one of the UK’s finest collections of trees, including five National Plant Collections, and a leading centre for raptor conservation.

What’s on?

Christmas Wreath

21st November & 5th December – 10am – 3pm

Create a beautiful festive wreath to welcome visitors to your home!

Led by our Curator, Faith Douglas, learn how to expertly craft a beautiful festive wreath using high quality foliage specially selected to provide a fantastic mix of varieties, colour, longevity and verdure. As well as greenery, there will be an assortment of delightful and interesting decorative items with which to adorn your wreath.

All materials and equipment are provided although you might like to bring your favourite pair of gardening gloves.

The workshop will be held in Thorp Perrow’s beautiful Summerhouse with refreshments and a deliciously light lunch included, along with mulled wine and mince pie treats!

Night Walk

28th November – 4pm – 6pm

Explore an enchanting forest by fading light!

In autumn, when deciduous trees drop their leaves, the forms and structures of the leaves and branches change, creating great visual variety in the silhouettes outlined in the changing light. Thus, the Arboretum at dusk takes on a whole new dimension and mysterious beauty.

Let our Curator, Faith Douglas, lead you on a nocturnal autumnal adventure through Thorp Perrow where you’ll see the changes in the trees and hear the natural residents of the Arboretum on their evening exploits.

Refreshing herbal teas will be served.

Star Willow Weaving

13th December – 10am – 2pm

Wish upon a willow star with this festive willow weaving workshop!

Expert willow sculptor, Anna Cross, will help you create your very own festive star ready to be displayed for your family and friends to enjoy and admire over the festive period.

A deliciously light lunch will be served in our beautiful Summerhouse.

Santa’s grotto

25th November – 24th December

Priority booking for Season ticket holders ONLY from 16th September. General public sales open 30th September (season ticket information will be checked)

Take a wintry walk through the Arboretum towards the cosy cabin nestled deep in the woods where the elves will be waiting to welcome you into an enchanting winter wonderland.

Inside, you’ll explore a host of seasonal landscapes and creatures, discover miniature worlds, and peep inside the elves’ charming little bedroom before finding Santa in his cosy sitting room, ready for a chat and an extra special photo.

If you’ve been good, there’s a little gift waiting for you!

Rose Pruning

24th January – 10am – 1pm

The first in our wonderful spring flower series!

Learn all about the theory and techniques of rose pruning in this hands-on workshop with our Curator, Faith Douglas. Faith will lead you through the principles of why pruning is essential for healthy growth before demonstrating practical applications on specimens in the Arboretum.

A Literary Celebration of Winter

7th February – 10am – 1pm

Enjoy winter-inspired poetry and prose in this workshop of walking, talking and lively discussion.

With well-known (and not so well-known) works of literature both historic and modern, see winter through the eyes of those with the right words in the right order in this casual workshop celebrating seasonal literature.

Snowdrop Workshop

21st February – 10am – 2pm

The second in our wonderful spring flower series!

Join our Curator, Faith Douglas, for this hands-on workshop where you will learn to identify different varieties of snowdrop (Galanthus), propagate the seeds, and plant the bulbs ready to take home. You can also take part in some snowdrop conservation on some of the many species growing in the Arboretum.

Spring Pruning

6th March – 10am – 2pm

Join us for the third workshop in our spring flower series!

Learn all about early spring pruning with Thorp Perrow’s Curator, Faith Douglas, in this practical, hands-on workshop. With an illustrated talk and step-by-step demonstration, this workshop covers the fundamentals of what, when, where and how to prune. You’ll also be putting your new-found skills to practise in the Arboretum.

Collaging with James Owen Thomas

13th March – 10am – 1pm

We’re thrilled to be welcoming the celebrated environmental artist James Owen Thomas for a collaging workshop at Thorp Perrow!

In this workshop, James will show you various methods of creating collages with thrown-away items such as old tickets, scratch cards, leaflets and fabrics. You’ll take home your own piece of recycled environmental art.
James is a One Step Greener Ambassador for The Tree Council.

If you would like to know more about James, his art, his inspiration, and his achievements, go to: https://www.jamesowenthomas.com

Thorp Perrow’s Classic Car Sundays

17th March – 10am – 12noon

14th April – 10am – 12noon

12th May – 10am – 12noon

9th June – 10am – 12noon

Bring your classic vehicle to the stunning parkland of Thorp Perrow for easy Sunday morning coffee and car chat.

We’re pleased to be welcoming owners of classic cars and vintage vehicles for breakfast and will be running our meet on a Sunday morning every month until September 2024 (dates vary). The ticket price includes a hot or cold drink, and a bacon or sausage bap (or a piece of cake for a sweet treat).

 

Easter Wreath Workshop

20th March – 10am – 4pm

There’s a wreath to celebrate every season!

Join our Curator, Faith Douglas, for a hands-on workshop in which you’ll create a beautiful, nature-inspired wreath to celebrate the joys of springtime and to welcome family and friends to your home at Easter. There’ll be a practical, step-by-step demonstration and, to bring out your creative best, there’ll be plenty of spring-inspired materials to decorate your wreath.

 

Gardening with our Head Gardener

3rd April – 10am – 3pm

This is the fabulous fourth workshop in our spring series!

Spend the day with our Head Gardener, Jack Moore, as he leads you through the fundamentals of growing vegetables. You’ll take part in a step-by-step practical workshop which includes the theory and practise of caring for your home-grown produce.

Spring Blossom & Daffodil Tour with Lunch in the Hall

17th April – 10am – 4pm

As the days get warmer and the Arboretum bursts into colour from the thousands of flowers that come into bloom, embrace the arrival of spring with this lively and informative tour!

Join Faith Douglas, our Curator, as she shares her passion for the season on a walk-and-talk around the Arboretum. Faith will show you the best of the spring blossom, bluebell and daffodil collections and share some fascinating facts and care tips along the way.

Spring Sitting Hare Willow Weaving

24th April – 10am – 4pm

Create your very own sitting hare to celebrate spring!

Join Wendy Bristow, from Twigs and Sprigs, to weave a sitting hare out of willow. Wendy will guide you through the process, step-by-step so that you can take your stunning sculpture home.

How to find us

No access to Arboretum from Firby Road (past Bedale Leisure Centre), use sat nav postcode DL8 2PS.

From Bedale: follow signposts towards Masham (B6268), ignore signs for Thorp Perrow along Firby Road (also signposted Leisure Centre), and continue for approx 1 mile. Turn left following signs for Snape and the entrance to the Arboretum is approx 1/4 mile on the left.

Admission Prices

Pre book your tickets online to get the best price.

Booking online is subject to a booking fee charge from our service provider, but we have discounted our online tickets to ensure you no worse off if you book online – and in fact in most cases you are better off pre-booking.

Tickets can be purchased on the gate, but are subject to capacity and we strongly advise you pre book prior to your visit.

Credit: Wendy Pain

Ticket Type

Online

On the Door

Office

Adult £13.95 £14.95
Concession £12.95 £13.95
Child (4-16 years) £9.20 £10.20
2 + 2 £44.65 £46.65
2 + 3 £53.50 £55.50
Group Adult (pre-booked groups of 10+ visitors) N/A N/A £11.40
Group Child (pre-booked groups of 10+ visitors) N/A N/A £7.35
Adult Season Ticket £47.95 £49.95
Child Season Ticket £27.90 £29.90

Please contact the office for further information on group and school bookings or venue hire, 01677 425 323.

Season tickets are valid for a year from the date of purchase and offer fantastic value for money! Please ask us about upgrading during your visit.

Occasionally we do need to close the Arboretum at short notice due to weather warnings. Please check our social media for updates before you travel.

Opening Times

Thorp Perrow

Arboretum: 10:00 – 17:00

Tearoom: 10:00 – 16:00

Homes & Gardens: 10:00 – 16:00

Please note: during adverse weather conditions, these times may change, please check our social media for updates.

Bird of Prey Display Times

Meet the Owls: 11:30am

Bird of Prey Flying Display: 1:30pm

Bird of Prey Flying Display: 3:30pm

Please note: during the winter months, display times vary and we may only have 1 per day. Please ask on arrival or call the admission staff on 01677 427 203.

Dogs at Thorp Perrow

Thorp Perrow welcomes dogs, providing they are kept on a lead at all times.

Dogs are not permitted inside the Tearoom (but can join you in the outdoor seating areas), the children’s play area, or the Bird of Prey and Mammal Centre. Please use the areas provided to secure your furry friend whilst you visit these facilities.

Mobility Scooter

Please contact our tearoom to pre-book and hire our mobility scooter: 01677 427 203