From South Landing to central London

Two tonnes of white pebbles from Flamborough's South Landing beach have been collected, ready to be part of Yorkshire's garden at the Chelsea Flower Show.
Designer Tracy FosterDesigner Tracy Foster
Designer Tracy Foster

Welcome To Yorkshire’s most ambitious design will recreate a genuine slice of the the coast in the heart of the capital.

Pupils from Flamborough Primary School helped to choose the distinctive stones, which will be returned to their home when the show is over.

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Ten-year-old Chester Firth was among the youngsters who headed out of the classroom last Wednesday.

Liam O'Hara 9, Chester Firth 10, and Charlie Paul 10Liam O'Hara 9, Chester Firth 10, and Charlie Paul 10
Liam O'Hara 9, Chester Firth 10, and Charlie Paul 10

He said: “I love the beach, there is so much space and so many pebbles to choose.

“We are looking for white pebbles, some with holes in and not too big.”

Award-winning garden designer Tracy Foster was attracted to Flamborough because of the distinctive chalk pebbles, many of which have neat, cylindrical holes in them made by piddocks, small mussel-like sea creatures that burrow into soft rocks,

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She said: “The pebbles found on the beach at Flamborough are so unique that there’s really no way to replicate them.

More than two tonnes of pebbles were taken from the beachMore than two tonnes of pebbles were taken from the beach
More than two tonnes of pebbles were taken from the beach

“To make this year’s Welcome to Yorkshire Chelsea Show Garden truly authentic, and as wonderful as the coastline that inspired it, the best way is to literally take some genuine pieces of Yorkshire down to London.”

The Yorkshire garden has won a gold, five silver medals and six People’s Choice Awards in previous years at Chelsea.

Tracy added: “I wanted to do something about the coast. This part of the Yorkshire coast is really special.

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“I love the colours of the rock on a day like this, there is so much contract with the white and the blue sky.

Picture by Paul AtkinsonPicture by Paul Atkinson
Picture by Paul Atkinson

“We’ve had special permission to borrow the pebbles, so we can take a number of bags directly from the beach and they are going to go down to the flower show.

“One of the reasons for doing that is because they are unique. You can’t buy them in builders’ merchants.

“The chalk pebbles are soft and have a lovely shape. A lot of them have holes in them and that makes them unusal so it will be great to have those.

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“We are going to spread them out on the beach area of the garden and at the end of the show they are all going to be collected and brought back.”

Liam O'Hara 9, Chester Firth 10, and Charlie Paul 10Liam O'Hara 9, Chester Firth 10, and Charlie Paul 10
Liam O'Hara 9, Chester Firth 10, and Charlie Paul 10

Chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire Sir Gary Verity said: “This is a wonderful way to get the community involved in our garden and for the children to learn more about our fantastic coastline.

“We’re hugely grateful to Flamborough Primary School for their help and to Natural England and East Riding Council for allowing us to borrow the pebbles so we can show the true beauty of Yorkshire to the world.

“We promise to take good care of them.”

Experts from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s nearby Living Seas Centre explained more about the area to the pupils and emphasised the need for the pebbles to be carefully checked for tiny sea creatures during the collection.

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Manager Anthony Hurd said: “The Yorkshire coast is truly spectacular and recognised internationally for its wildlife and marine environment.

“It will be amazing to see a small corner of Yorkshire shoreline brought to life in the heart of London, and we’re delighted that the garden build team have sought permission and will ensure the pebbles will be returned to the very same beach afterwards, where visitors can enjoy some of the best rock pooling around.”