Secret garden set for revamp

A secret garden where Lord Nelson once shared tea with his lover Lady Hamilton and her husband Sir William is to be restored.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) reported that the site in the centre of Monmouth was recently rediscovered by garden and greenhouse enthusiasts and will now be renovated over the summer months.

Interested parties have been invited to watch the volunteers at work on any Wednesday morning until September as they look to rebuild the once loved site.

As part of the restoration work, the 19th-century promenade pathways and hollow hypocaust walls, which were once heated to help the fruit trees, will be returned to their former glory.

A set of planting plans have been drawn up to return the site to its Georgian heyday, with volunteers hoping to open the garden to the public when work is completed.

The attraction has lain neglected and largely unknown for years, perhaps thanks to the fact that it can only be accessed by walking through a three-metre tunnel.

In other news, the RHS has revealed that Gloucestershire-based Batsford Arboretum is set to invest £2 million into expansion plans.