Yorkshire garden to use prize to fund improvements

An historic garden in North Yorkshire is to have a new sensory garden and increased educational services for children after learning that it was £50,000 richer.

The money is the prize won by the Helmsley Walled Garden as part of a TV competition, according to the Darlington and Stockton Times.

The garden was up against eight national finalists in the National Lottery-funded Peoples Millions show.

When the competition came down to the final two, Helmsley Walled Garden just pipped Hustlethwaite Parish Council in the public vote, meaning it is free to build the new facilities.

The garden is already of massive benefit to the community and manager Rebecca Williams explained that the prize will help it offer even more assistance to area residents.

"As well as restoring and protecting this important historic garden for local people to enjoy, our work will also allow horticultural therapy for special needs students and people with disabilities to come from miles around," she told the newspaper

Around one million pounds has already been spent on Helmsley Walled Garden as part of five years of restoration work.

Gardeners will no doubt take inspiration from the displays on show and will want to try their hand at replicating some of the ideas in their own greenhouse.