burnby hall gardens

What burnby hall gardens does

Burnby Hall Gardens is a heritage garden and museum visitor attraction operating across nine acres in Pocklington, East Yorkshire, under the stewardship of Stewart's Burnby Hall Gardens and Museum Trust CIO, a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Charity Number 1155844) established in 1964. The attraction is anchored by two lakes containing a National Collection of over 100 hardy water lily varieties, complemented by themed garden areas including a restored Edwardian Rock Garden, Stumpery, Walled Garden, Birch Walk, and Aviary Garden, plus the Stewart Museum housing cultural artefacts from Major Percy Stewart's eight world tours between 1906-1926, several of which carry UNESCO significance. The museum holds Arts Council England Accreditation.

The business generates revenue across eight distinct streams: day ticket admissions with seasonal pricing (summer VAT-reduced at £8.30 adult / £6.10 child / £26.25 family; winter at £4.50 adult / £3.50 child), annual memberships (£50 adult / £20 child / £120 family), the on-site Lilypad Café, the Burnby Cards & Gifts shop, ticketed premium events, wedding photography sessions (£140-£170), group bookings (£9 per person for parties of 20+), and donations augmented by Gift Aid. Distribution is fully direct-to-consumer across walk-in admissions, online booking via MyOnlineBooking.co.uk, and telephone bookings, with no third-party resellers. The Gardens attract approximately 100,000 visitors annually across general public visitors, families, school groups (free entry for YO42 schools), organized groups, and wedding parties.

Technology is non-proprietary and limited to operational infrastructure: Worldpay for PCI-DSS compliant payment processing, SendinBlue for email marketing, and K3 BTG for POS and member database management. The company has no AI, no patents or proprietary technology, no subsidiaries, no parent company, and no external funding rounds, operating as an independent charitable trust funded through earned revenue, donations, and periodic Heritage Lottery Fund grants for capital restoration projects.

Name

burnby hall gardens

Legal name

Stewart's Burnby Hall Gardens and Museum Trust CIO

Website

https://burnbyhallgardens.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Burnby Hall Gardens is a heritage garden and museum visitor attraction in Pocklington, East Yorkshire, operating nine acres of gardens with a National Collection of hardy water lilies and a museum of world artefacts, serving approximately 100,000 visitors annually through admissions, memberships, café, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Gardens & Museum

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Museums (71211)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH)

Keywords

• Heritage gardens
• Botanical collections
• Visitor attractions
• Museum operations
• Charitable gardens

Headquarters

HQ city

Pocklington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Day Ticket Admissions: Standard admission tickets for day visitors, with reduced VAT pricing during summer season (25th June to 1st September). Tickets sold online and at Visitor Centre.
2. Annual Memberships: Annual membership subscriptions offering unlimited access, discounts at café and gift shop, free event access, and bring-a-friend vouchers. Memberships are automatically eligible for Gift Aid.
3. Lilypad Café: On-site café serving light meals, sandwiches, hot beverages, and homemade cakes. Wait-to-be-seated table service with inside and outside seating. Outside catering services also offered.
4. Gift Shop (Burnby Cards & Gifts): Gift shop within Visitor Centre offering cards, themed items, small gifts, and children's toys. 10% discount for members.
5. Ticketed Events: Premium ticketed evening events including concert performances (e.g., HUGE party band). Standard events included in admission price.
6. Wedding Photography Sessions: Pre-booked wedding photography sessions at premium rates based on guest count. Full payment required 28 days in advance.
7. Donations and Gift Aid: Charitable donations with Gift Aid scheme allowing 25% tax reclamation on contributions. Memberships automatically qualify for Gift Aid.
8. Group Bookings and Catering: Discounted group rates for parties of 20+, with catering services through Lilypad Café for buffet lunches and afternoon teas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Burnby Hall Gardens operates a nine-acre heritage garden visitor attraction in Pocklington, East Yorkshire, featuring a National Collection of over 100 hardy water lily varieties across two lakes, alongside the Arts Council Accredited Stewart Museum, an on-site Lilypad Café, a Burnby Cards & Gifts shop, and a year-round events and concerts programme. The attraction offers day admissions, annual memberships, group bookings, wedding photography sessions, and educational school visits.

Product overview

Burnby Hall Gardens operates as a single-site heritage visitor attraction combining horticultural excellence with museum and cultural offerings. The core product is the Gardens themselves, featuring a National Collection of hardy water lilies across two lakes within nine acres. Supporting attractions include the Stewart Museum showcasing Major Percy Stewart's world travel artefacts, the Lilypad Café for visitor catering, and Burnby Cards & Gifts shop. The attraction offers multiple themed garden areas (Rock Garden, Stumpery, Walled Garden, Birch Walk, Aviary Garden) and runs seasonal events including the Tulip Festival, band concerts, and children's activities. Educational services include school visit resources, while commercial offerings encompass annual memberships, wedding photography sessions, and group bookings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Burnby Hall Gardens A heritage garden and visitor attraction featuring a nationally significant collection of hardy water lilies across two lakes within nine acres, located in Pocklington, East Yorkshire. Open to the public seven days a week.
• Day Tickets Standard admission tickets with seasonal pricing for adults, children, and families, available for Main Season and Winter Season. Tickets can be purchased online or at the Visitor Centre.
• Garden Membership Annual membership offering unlimited garden access, children's event access, concert access, 10% discounts at the café and shop, a bring-a-friend voucher, and reciprocal access to Scampston Walled Garden during select periods. Adult £50, Child £20, Family £120 annually.
• Stewart Museum Arts Council Accredited museum dedicated to Major Percy Stewart's world travels and collection of cultural and religious artefacts from eight world tours (1906-1926), with UNESCO-recognized exhibits and interactive stations.
• Lilypad Café On-site café offering light meals, sandwiches, toasties, weekly specials, homemade traybakes and cakes, with gluten-free and vegan options. Wait-to-be-seated table service with inside and outside seating; outside catering services also offered.
• Burnby Cards & Gifts Shop Gift shop within the Visitor Centre offering cards, themed items, small gifts, and children's toys, with a 10% discount for members.
• Events Programme Seasonal events including Tulip Festival, Owl Adventures, children's theatre, Halloween trail, and Rusticus performances.
• Sunday Brass Band and Concert Programme Musical concert series featuring brass bands and various musical styles including The Concordia Steel Band, choirs, and guitar ensembles, sponsored by East Riding Sacks and Pocklington Town Council.
• Wedding Photography Pre-booked wedding party photography sessions at the gardens, with pricing based on guest count (£140 for up to 30 guests, £170 for 30+ guests). Full payment required minimum 28 days in advance.
• School Visits and Educational Programmes Curriculum-linked educational visits for primary and secondary schools including the Adventurous Stewarts Handling Collection (KS1/KS2) and a Teacher's Information Pack. Free entry for schools in the YO42 area, £3 per child for schools outside the area.
• Group Bookings Discounted group rates for parties of 20+ (£9.00 per person) with catering options through Lilypad Café including buffet lunches and afternoon teas. Bookings handled via telephone.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~100,000 visitors annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• East Riding SackscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Main charity partner for 2026. East Riding Sacks, the UK's largest paper sack manufacturer with nearly 60 years of experience, supports the Gardens through event sponsorship, on-site promotions, and digital engagement. Partnership reflects shared commitment to sustainability and community support.
• Yorkshire Gardens Centre (YGC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional garden industry partnership providing marketing support and industry recognition.
• Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliated as an RHS Partner Garden, providing marketing support and horticultural validation.
• Heritage Lottery FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded 2007 museum update and 2016-2019 Golden Jubilee project for Upper Lake restoration, Rock Garden restoration, and Edwardian Summerhouse restoration. Critical funding partner for major capital projects.
• Scampston Walled Garden and ParklandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReciprocal access arrangement for members - free entry to Scampston Walled Garden and Parkland during select periods (1st April to 31st May and 2nd September to 1st November 2026).
• East Yorkshire Bat RescueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWildlife organization hosting displays in marquee at events, providing educational content about local wildlife.
• Yorkshire Butterfly Conservation GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConservation organization hosting displays at wildlife events, supporting education about local butterfly populations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• RHS Garden Wisley: Royal Horticultural Society's flagship garden attraction in Surrey. Like Burnby Hall Gardens, it operates as an RHS Partner Garden visitor attraction with plant collections, café, gift shop, and annual memberships, and serves a comparable family and horticultural enthusiast customer base.
• Beth Chatto Gardens: Award-winning heritage plantswoman garden in Essex known for its ecological planting collections. Comparable as a horticulturally distinguished, admission-based heritage garden attraction with plant collection credibility and a focused single-site operating model.
• Alnwick Garden: Major heritage garden attraction in Northumberland featuring themed gardens, events programme, and hospitality. Directly comparable in combining horticultural collections with paid events, weddings, and family programming at a single heritage site.
• Biddulph Grange Garden: National Trust heritage Grade I listed garden in Staffordshire. Closely comparable as a Victorian-era designed garden attraction with themed garden areas, paid admissions, and a curated visitor experience at a single historic site.
• Westonbirt, The National Arboretum: Major Forestry England-managed tree collection attraction in Gloucestershire. Comparable in operating a nationally significant plant/tree collection as a ticketed day visitor attraction with seasonal events, café, and gift shop.
• Trentham Gardens: Large restored heritage garden attraction in Staffordshire with formal gardens, woodland walks, events, and hospitality. Operates the same single-site visitor attraction model with admissions, memberships, café, shop, and seasonal events programming.
• Brodsworth Hall and Gardens: English Heritage property in South Yorkshire with restored Victorian gardens. Highly comparable in scale, Yorkshire regional context, heritage estate profile, and ticketed day-visitor garden attraction model.
• Helmsley Walled Garden: Charitable heritage walled garden attraction in North Yorkshire. Comparable as a small-to-mid-scale charity-operated heritage garden visitor attraction with plant collections, café, events, and educational programming.
• Scampston Walled Garden: Heritage walled garden in North Yorkshire with contemporary planting design. Already a reciprocal access partner with Burnby Hall Gardens, it operates the same regional heritage garden attraction model with plant collections, café, and ticketed admissions.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: UK's most prominent botanical garden attraction and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Far larger in scale and visitor reach, but operates the same core model of curated plant collections, museum/heritage assets, ticketed admissions, memberships, retail, and events that Burnby Hall Gardens follows.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/burnbyhallgardens
• Instagraminstagram.com/burnbyhallgardens
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burnbyhallgardens

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about burnby hall gardens