The Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park near Ripon is set to reopen today. The 45-acre site in Grewelthorpe is home to 80 outdoor sculptures and nearly 20,000 plants.
The gardens were shortlisted for the BBC Countryfile Magazine awards 2020 and were winners of the Yorkshire in Bloom tourist attraction award in 2018 and 2019.
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A spokesperson for the gardens said:
“We believe that being outdoors and in beautiful gardens is restorative and important for people’s wellbeing. It can be a source of much-needed tranquillity in these super-anxious times.
“We are, however, mindful that the safety of visitors and our staff is our number one priority. We’re pleased to welcome visitors, that they may enjoy the blooms of spring in a safe and tranquil environment.”
The gardens have implemented additional staff training and measures to ensure key points, such as the visitors’ entrance, are safe. Natural materials have been used to create one-way systems and social distancing markers. Visitors must book tickets in advance. The plant sale area will be open and the tearoom and refreshment horsebox will be serving takeaways.
The spokesperson added:
“Thankfully, our attraction benefits from being in the great outdoors with plenty of space.”
The actor Joanna Lumley, who is patron of the gardens, said:
“They are a slice of paradise. Gardens are the greatest healers on earth, and as our stressful anxious lives tie us up in knots, we may turn to the sweet silence of the great green earth for solace.”
