A mere stone’s throw from the famous landmark bearing its name, Humber Bridge Garden Centre is a unique lifestyle attraction which offers something for everyone
There’s plenty for visitors to see and do at Humber Bridge Garden Centre, a newly-opened retail and leisure destination positioned just across the water from Hull.
This vibrant spot on the banks of the River Humber is much more than your typical garden centre – it’s a true lifestyle hub, providing its clientele with a whole range of opportunities to shop, eat and explore.
It’s also a place with real history, located as it is on the Grade II listed site of the last remaining handmade clay pantile manufacturer in the UK.
‘The site was established in 1840 by makers of the tiles, the William Blyth company’ explains Jake Massarella, garden centre manager.
‘The clay was drawn from the banks of the Humber and the pantiles handmade here. They’re still produced on-site.’
‘The tiles are shaped, dried and then placed in a coal-fired kiln for 10 days, giving them their trademark terracotta colour,’ adds Jake.
‘We’ve integrated them into the design of the garden centre site, and customers can even buy the crushed tiles that we’ve used on the ground of the plant area outside.’
‘There’s plenty more to what we do than history and horticulture, though: we’re a destination with a lot going on, and we draw people from a wide range of areas,’ says Sarah Lamb, consultant buyer and merchandiser for the site. ‘Looking at the amenities on offer to visitors, it’s easy to see why.’
Fabulous facilities
The Barton-upon-Humber centre has its roots in The Old Tile Works restaurant, which opened in 2010 and has evolved into a popular attraction for those in Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and surrounding areas. It serves numerous breakfast and lunch options along with a children’s menu and vegan dishes. Savoury food is complemented by an assortment of cakes, plus a wide variety of hot and cold drinks. The venue additionally has a licence to serve alcohol, with customers able to sample regional brands including Samuel Smith and Ossett Brewery.
A short walk away from the restaurant is the Artisan Village, which is based out of a collection of open studios, currently home to traditional sweetshop, A Spoonful of Sugar, Abigail Buckingham Jewellery, making handmade jewellery, as well as new north Lincolnshire business Shadow Bridge Micro Brewery.
‘The brewery in particular has been very good for the site,’ Jake says.
Another enterprise that can be found here is Five Fathoms, which produces an award-winning Humber Dry Gin. The company makes small-batch spirits from its on-site distillery, aiming to produce items that reflect a voyage across land and sea.
More to savour
Topping off the facilities is the garden centre itself, where staff with vast collective horticultural experience are on hand to cater to customers’ gardening needs. A showstopping array of quality plants are stocked alongside beautifully-presented home and garden items, with products on sale from renowned organisations like the Royal Horticultural Society, Woodlodge and The English Soap Company. Another draw is the William Blyth pottery, which sells pots produced on the estate by on-site potter Gabriel Nichols.
The dog-friendly centre also boasts striking views of the Humber Bridge, as well as convenient access to local attractions including Far Ings Nature Reserve and the Viking Way.
Humber Bridge Garden Centre has been a long time in the making, with the Harrison family first envisaging the potential to develop the site when they bought William Blyth in 2005. Though plans for the garden centre area were put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, finally opening in April this year, Sarah believes that the focus the crisis has placed on homes and gardens will help the destination to keep customers visiting.
‘I definitely think garden centres will continue to power the retail industry in the future,’ she says. And with Jake noting that new products are regularly being delivered, there’s arguably no better time to take a trip to this new north Lincolnshire attraction.
For more information visit humberbridgegardencentre.co.uk.
