The gardens are in the small village of Littlethorpe positioned on the southern edge of Ripon characterised by houses interspersed with fields. The focal point of the village is St Michael’s Church, consecrated in 1878 and a Chapel of Ease of Ripon Cathedral.
Littlethorpe Manor is set in 11 acres of grounds. There are 4 acres of formal gardens and lawns around the house, with 7 acres of parkland below a large retaining wall.
The basic structure of the grounds were laid out when Mr and Mrs Thackray purchased the property in 1985. The garden, as seen today, has been developed since 1998 with the appointment of Eddie Harland as Head Gardener.
The gardens first opened to the public in 2002 through the National Garden Scheme, a registered charity established in 1927 raising money to support nursing and caring charities such as We Are MacMillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Help the Hospices to name a few.