It’s GOLD! Newby Hall awarded the top medal at RHS Chelsea Flower Show for its first ever plant exhibit
Newby Hall has won a prestigious gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show (20-24 May) for a North Yorkshire-inspired plant display – its first ever at the world’s most famous horticultural event.
The woodland-themed display highlighting some of the most eye-catching and unusual varieties of Cornus, a nod to Newby Hall’s renowned National Plant Collection of Cornus, was given the top award by RHS judges.
These beautiful flowering dogwood trees and shrubs boast colourful ‘flowers’ in April, May and June. The RHS Chelsea display had been carefully designed by Newby Hall’s head gardener, Lawrence Wright, in collaboration with owners Richard and Lucinda Compton, who now curate the collection.
Lawrence Wright (pictured with Lucinda Compton) said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have won a gold at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. To be judged as being amongst the best of the best in the horticultural world is incredible, putting Newby Hall’s plant collection firmly on the national and international map. Thank you to all of our team for their hard work in helping us prepare for this. We are now really looking forward to showing the thousands of show visitors the wonder of these beautiful plants and encouraging them to visit Newby Hall in person.”
Newby Hall’s exhibit forms a key part of Plant Heritage’s display within the Floral Marquee (stand GPB 020) at RHS Chelsea, which celebrates the beauty of the National Plant Collections. It was officially opened by broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh who is president of Plant Heritage which champions and conserves garden plants.
Newby Hall’s Cornus collection is one of the UK’s most extensive, comprising over 100 individual specimens, 48 cultivars and 25 species. It was originally started in 1990 by Robin Compton, a passionate horticulturist and former president of the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens – now known as Plant Heritage. The very first Cornus kousa was planted by his father, Major Edward Compton, in 1937, sparking a passion that would eventually grow into this nationally recognised collection.
Richard and Lucinda’s daughter, Sasha Compton, who is an established artist and designer, has been painting the Cornus display at the show, whilst Jake Sutcliffe Garden Design Studio helped build the display.
Newby Hall’s famous gardens are a jewel of the Yorkshire countryside, frequently featured in television productions such as Peaky Blinders and Victoria. The garden boasts 14 stunning ‘rooms’, two heritage orchards, and one of the UK’s longest double herbaceous borders. Other highlights include a Rose Garden at its fragrant peak in June, an Autumn Garden filled with Dahlias and over 80 different varieties of Salvia, and an Edwardian Rock Garden nearing the end of major restoration which is due to be complete in spring 2026.
This September, Newby Hall will also host the popular Harrogate Autumn Flower Show from 19–21 September. Newby Hall & Gardens are open to the public from April to September, welcoming over 120,000 visitors annually. With its rich history, award-winning gardens, and vibrant programme of events, Newby continues to inspire gardeners and plant lovers from around the world.
ENDS
For further information contact Emma Mason on emma@emmamasonpr.co.uk 07762 117433 or Alex Mcdonnell Alex.Mcdonnell@newbyhall.com 01423 320412
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NOTES TO EDITORS
- Newby Hall is a William and Mary house built in the 1690s under the guidance of Christopher Wren and remodelled by John Carr with interiors by Robert Adam and furniture by Chippendale.
- Located between Ripon and Boroughbridge, Newby has been home to the Compton family for ten generations.
- The gardens span 25 acres of formal planting with an additional 15 acres of orchards and woodland, maintained by a team of seven gardeners and volunteers.
- Newby is situated close to the A1(M) and near the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks.