THE gates of Middle Bamham and Lewtrenchard Manor will fling open to the public soon as part of St Luke’s Hospice’s most popular annual fundraiser.

On May 30 Middle Bamham, in Launceston, owned by well known local butchers the Warren family, will welcome visitors in a socially distanced manner.

A spokesperson said: “Come and join us in exploring over three acres of beautifully landscaped gardens, with ponds, established trees and shrubs and deep and varied  borders. Explore winding paths leading to hidden areas of the garden and enjoy an extensive collection of Hostas in this peaceful corner of the Cornish countryside.”

Lewtrenchard Manor in Lewdown will also welcome visitors to their spring (May 5) and summer (August 8) openings.

With more gardens set to be added to the programme over coming weeks, St Luke’s has opened an online booking system, which has replaced the pay in-person on the day process of previous years. Tickets, which are £5 per adult, can be purchased at www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/opengardens, where there are details of all the locations taking part in this year’s scheme.

Wayne Marshall, St Luke’s community fundraiser and Open Gardens co-ordinator, said: “It’s exciting to be back with another diverse selection of beautiful gardens to inspire and delight visitors, and the addition of our first Open Farm makes this year’s scheme extra special. We’re really grateful to the garden and farm owners for taking part and to the many volunteers who roll up their sleeves to help at each event.

“Our new online booking system is easy to access and straightforward to use, and very importantly it means we can manage visitor numbers for each event in a COVID-safe way.

“We can also easily update event information if, for any reason, details change. This is particularly helpful at the moment given the ongoing uncertainty of what may or may not happen as lockdown restrictions ease.

“I want to encourage people to check our website regularly as we will be adding new gardens and farms over the next few weeks and months. It is also on our website that they can enter our exciting competition to win the painting Brian has so kindly donated. We are very grateful to him for his ongoing support for St Luke’s.”

Funds raised from ticket sales and the competition will help St Luke’s continue to give personalised care to terminally ill people in their last months, weeks and days of life, providing crucial emotional support for them and their families, too.