FANCY a day out staring at walls? That is not nearly as desperate as it sounds when the walls in question are festooned with climbing roses and clematis - to name just two of the attractions of Helmsley Walled Garden.

Tucked away between Helmsley Castle and the main car park at the northern end of the town, this is: "A place often missed by visitors to the southern boundary of the National Park". So writes Wendy Long in "Voice Of The Moors", the North York Moors Association's excellent magazine, where I first read about this attraction.

A place often missed hitherto by my family, it is not any more. My wife and I visited recently on a damp June day when we needed cheering up. We could not have picked a more suitable place. Approaching from Stokesley, we parked in the car park immediately to the right on reaching Helmsley. There are several parking bays for folk with disabilities; three with level access to the RADAR toilet in the main toilet block and a few more in the "overflow" car park a little closer to the Walled Garden itself.

The car park is handy for the Market Place, the castle and picnic area, as well as our destination, so there really is no better place to land. The cost, for six hours parking, was £2.30 and money well spent given the quality of access and proximity to so many attractions and facilities.

Following signs to "Walled Garden, Craft Workshops and Picnic Area", our route took us over smooth tarmac and paving to the picnic area. We took a break here with our trusty flask. The tables are reached over grass, which we managed quite well considering the rain over previous days had been more than generous. Plenty of choice too; it was a case of pick one from ten and choose your own tree to sit under.

Suitably refreshed, we rolled on towards the Craft Workshops. This is a collection of tiny units showcasing various crafts including "The Stick Man", whom we visited first. Where else can you talk ferrules and folding sticks? It made a refreshing change from the ubiquitous Euro 2004 and Wimbledon chat at the time. This and "The Bead Workshop" - our second port of call - were just about accessible, but there was little room to spare so I would be wary on a busy day.

These pleasant detours had whetted our appetite for the Walled Garden itself, which was just around the corner. At this point, the path turns to crushed stone, which makes things a little less smooth but perfectly manageable nonetheless.

The fact that the garden is here at all is tribute to the work of Alison Ticehurst, who took over the derelict garden in 1994 before spending the next two years clearing the ground. Ten years on and after Alison's tragic death in 1999, a charity was formed to develop the gardens further with a strong emphasis on its "Horticultural Therapy Policy" to help those with special needs, mental health problems and disabilities. It was evident that such a caring policy exists very much to the fore and I felt cocooned by this as I went round.

The paths criss-cross each other in a grid pattern with occasional invitations such as: "Yes you can walk on the grass!" on signs near the lawned areas. We took them up on this at one point and were led to a beautiful wrought-iron arbour. We sat surrounded by lavender and climbing roses looking out over the garden with a backdrop of the rolling pastures to the west beyond the walls. It was here I discovered another use for my walking stick; it is the perfect tool for wafting lavender to release its calming scent while you sit and gaze.

The wheelchair coped fine with the grassy areas but we did stick mainly to the paths. We were treated to displays of clematis (this is a show garden for the British Clematis Society), herbs ("please feel free to scratch and sniff" says the visitor guide), climbing roses and a long central border displaying a sweep of colours from cold to hot, as we made our way to the Orchid House. Fully restored three years ago, the Orchid House is a treat, being used in summer (when the orchids go out for their annual holiday) for exhibitions. Ramped access enables people to get in using wheelchairs and get close to the exhibits. This was the trickiest area to manipulate a wheelchair. On the way out after descending the ramp, I found myself skidding down the crushed-stone slope towards the borders. Perhaps I am just careless but I did find the slope and camber around the Orchid House difficult.

Back on the level, we rounded off our trip at the delightful cafe. There is ramped access to the cafe (which has an accessible toilet) with alternative seating on the adjoining terrace, which is where we sat under a parasol serving as an umbrella on this occasion.

This was a hugely successful visit. The Walled Garden definitely worked its therapeutic magic on us and has already worked its way onto our "must visit" list.

Phil Donegan, 50, lives in Stockton with his wife and three children. He was diagnosed as having multiple sclerosis seven years ago and had to retire from teaching. If there is a town or attraction you would like him to try out for disabled access, please write to him at The Northern Echo, Priestgate, Darlington, Co Durham, DL1 1NF.

Published: 03/08/2004