Forbidden Corner: History of Yorkshire Dales hidden gem attraction and where it all started

The Forbidden Corner is a folly garden nestled within the Yorkshire Dales National Park and is open to the public.

It is designed as a maze with tunnels, grottos and sculptures but it didn’t start off this way.

In 2021, Johnny Vegas filmed his show Carry On Glamping at the Forbidden Corner and it attracts around 80,000 visitors every year.

History of the Forbidden Corner

The Forbidden Corner was initially built as a private folly by Mr C. R. Armstrong CMG at Tupgill Park with hundreds of trees planted in 1979.

It started out as a mini woodland of fir trees that were originally put there as a wind break to the stables.

Then in 1989, Colin Armstrong and his friend Malcolm Tempest added a small tower in the western corner for people to enjoy the view down the Coverdale Valley.

The inspiration behind the development of the garden grew over time, including a grotto which extended into a 25-foot-deep hole with soil being carted in dumper trucks.

After some struggles with the weather damaging the hole, it improved during the summer of 1991 and the first concrete was poured. By the year of 1992, the grotto was starting to take shape.

Many other ideas for the space were birthed a year later including Skipton Castle and Portmeirion that were planned for The Forbidden Corner. A boulder canyon and a pyramid of molten glass were also added.

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The word got out about the grotto in 1993 and Hull University contacted Malcolm which led to the first public visit of The Forbidden Corner with a group of students who all thoroughly enjoyed the trip.

This sparked the decision to open up the space to the public and once the builders moved out, the gardening began including the hedging for the maze. The Face Tower was also built to welcome guests to the folly.

On the official opening day in July 1994, around 100 people attended and over time a building was converted into a ticket office, cafe and gift shop to elevate the experience.

The Green Man and the Fawcett Tower were also built four years later and by the year 2000, The Forbidden Corner attracted more than 80,000 people. The attraction was featured in the media and this drew attention from planning officers at the Yorkshire Dales National Park who requested they apply for one.

With some resistance by the National Park, Colin struggled to keep the place open to the public. It wasn’t until loyal visitors who treasured the place started to get involved by sending more than 2,000 letters of support as well as a petition to keep The Forbidden Corner open which was signed by 10,000 people, that it could stay open to the public. It took a lot of campaigning and influential voices to help fight for it to remain open.

It has consistently appealed to a wide audience and it won Visitor Attraction of the Year in 2022.