Gordale Service Station

General information

Established in 1948, Gordale is one of the oldest garden centres in Britain and has continued to grow and expand ever since. Gordale was originally bought by Harold and Joyce Nicholson whilst they worked on a farm in Wiltshire. They arrived by motorbike and sidecar, along with their six ducks, while their cows followed by train before being walked from Hooton station to Gordale. We’ve always been a bit different! Initially Gordale operated as a smallholding, producing goods for the local markets, and the original cafe was famous for its chicken salads – a luxury during the rationing of WW2.

In 1949, Gordale was set to be sold at auction, with Harold and Joyce planning a new life in Canada. However, whilst many bids were received, the highest failed to meet the reserve price by just £50. Instead it was decided to stay and make a go of it and we’re so happy they did! Over the years, trade increased and goods had to be bought in to supplement those produced on site to cope with the nation’s growing interest in gardening.

In 1979, after studying horticulture in England and Holland Mr and Mrs Nicholson's son Peter Nicholson took over the company. Today, Gordale remains at the forefront of garden centre retailing. We never stand still. We always have lovely ideas in the pipeline. We would like to invite you to come and see why we are one of Cheshire’s leading garden and home centres and why, over the years, we’ve won ‘Britain’s Best Garden Retailer’, ‘Independent Retail Outlet of the Year’ and ‘Garden Centre of the Year’.