Gillian Parker
Research project
Supervisor: Professor Jon Finch
Funding: Self-funded
Summary of research project:
The Backhouse Nursery of York was one of the most significant in England in the 19th century, attracting the approval of contemporaries both in Britain and abroad and, in 1889, being described as ‘known almost the world over’. Basic facts about the origins of the nursery are known, but despite its importance there is no detailed, published account of its history similar to those of other contemporary nurseries. National level influences, such as the Land Tax and the First World War, are assumed to have caused financial difficulties for the Backhouse nursery in the early 20th century, its insolvency in 1914, and eventual sale in 1924. The aim of this thesis is to use archival and other secondary material to explore the nursery’s history up to its bankruptcy in 1924 and compare its development and fortunes with those of similar nurseries.
Profile
After retiring from a long career in health and social policy research I have embarked on a journey to become a garden and landscape historian. I have a PG Diploma in Garden and Landscape History from the Institute of Historical Research, University of London and started part-time studies as a PGR student at the University of Sheffield’s Department of Landscape Architecture in 2021, supervised by Dr Jan Woudstra. I transferred to the University of York in 2025 for my final two (part-time) years, supervised by Professor Jon Finch.
I have a particular interest in gardens and designed landscapes of the 19th and early 20th centuries, with my main focus on the role of plant nurseries and those who worked in them in creating those spaces. I am also interested in the role of northern nurseries in the great tree plantations of the 18th and early 19th centuries and in the interactions of music and gardens. I am a Trustee of the Yorkshire Gardens Trust and a member of its Research and Recording Group, and am a volunteer gardener at Goddards, the National Trust property in York.
Publications & Awards
Academic:
‘Building the Foundations of the Backhouse Nursery of York, York Historian, 39 (2022), pp.46-71. https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/202227/
Book reviews:
Gillian M. Parker. Review of Harland, Gail, Snowdrop. H-Environment, H-Net Reviews. December, 2024. URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=60998
Published garden histories:
Goddards, York. Yorkshire Gardens Trust, January 2021 https://www.yorkshiregardenstrust.org.uk/research/sites/goddards#info
Reports for garden and landscape owners and managers:
Research Notes on Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline, prepared for the Friends of Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, November 2022.
History of the 19th and Early 20th Century Gardens at Achnacarry. Report prepared for The Lochiel, Achnacarry, Invernessshire, Scotland, February 2023
History of the Gardens and Designed Landscape at Invergloy. Report prepared for current owners of the Invergloy Estate, Invernessshire, Scotland, May 2023
Warley Place Gorge and Alpine Gardens. Report prepared for the Friends of Warley Place/Essex Wildlife Trust, Essex, October 2023
Other:
‘Backhouses in Scotland: Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline’, Yorkshire Gardens Trust Newsletter,
Spring (2023), pp. 4-10. https://www.yorkshiregardenstrust.org.uk/sites/yorkshiregardenstrust.org.uk/files/newsletters/Spring%20Newsletter%202023%20%28low%20res%29.pdf
‘Visit to Boynton Hall, Saturday 9 April 2022’, Yorkshire Gardens Trust Newsletter August (2022), pp.1-3. https://www.yorkshiregardenstrust.org.uk/sites/yorkshiregardenstrust.org.uk/files/newsletters/e-Bulletin%20August%202022.pdf
‘Valuing our Historic Gardens Heritage: Lotherton Edwardian Gardens, Report of Study Day’, Yorkshire Gardens Trust Newsletter, Autumn (2022), pp.11- 14
Conference presentations:
July 2022. Counting the Cost: The Importance of Financial Archives for Garden and Landscape History. Network of European Landscape Archives, online
September 2023. The Role of Early Yorkshire Nurseries in Northern Tree Plantations. Royal Geographical Society/IBG Annual Conference.
July 2024. Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Backhouse Nursery Rockworks in the Midlands. University of Birmingham Centre for Midlands History & Cultures 2024 conference,
'Landscape and Green Spaces in the Midlands: New Directions in Garden History'
Teaching & Impact
August 2021. Come into the Garden …? Exploring the Links Between Gardens and Music Making in Britain. Historically Informed [Music] Summer School, Bishop Burton College.
December 2021. Thomas Backhouse, Brother of the More Famous James: the Early Years (1815-1845) of the Backhouse Nursery of York. The Gardens Trust, online.
October 2022. Known Almost All the World Over as “Backhouses”: the Backhouse Nursery of York in the 19 th Century. Friends of the Yorkshire Arboretum.
November 2022. Thomas Backhouse, Brother of the More Famous James: the Early Years of the Backhouse Nursery of York. Askham Bryan Gardening Club.
May 2022. The Garden of Goddards, York, Guided Walk and Talk. Yorkshire Gardens Trust. This walk drew on the garden history of Goddards, written as part of my Post-Graduate Diploma assessed work.
March 2023. George Dillistone and the ‘Other’ Goddards. The Gardens Trust/Yorkshire Gardens Trust ‘Unforgettable Gardens’ series, online
May 2023. The Backhouse Nursery of York: Its Place in Rock Garden History. Yorkshire Gardens Trust Study Day, Burnby Hall, Pocklington, East Yorkshire.
April 2024. The Lost Nurseries of York, Guided walk and talk, Yorkshire Gardens Trust.
May 2024. Known Almost All the World Over as “Backhouse’s”: the Backhouse Nursery of York in the 19 th and early 20 th Centuries. Sheldon Memorial Lecture, Sheldon Memorial Trust,
York.
October 2024. The ‘Other’ Goddards: The Terrys and George Dillistone. York Civic Trust.
November 2024. Ellen Willmott’s Alpine Gardens and the Backhouse Nursery of York. Essex Gardens Trust/Essex Wildlife Trust.
March 2025. The ‘Other’ Goddards: The Terrys and George Dillistone. University of the Third Age, Acomb, York.