All the North East gardens opening their gates for charity for this summer's Open Garden season

Bichfield Tower, one of The National Garden Scheme gardens

This summer, more than 20 private gardens will open to the public for a limited time across the North East.

Each year, the National Open Garden Scheme sees usually private gardens open to the public, charging an admission fee which is then donated to charity. In 2023, £3.4 million was raised from the opening of more than 3,500 private gardens across the whole of the UK.

The donations were split between beneficiaries including Marie Curie, Macmillan Cancer Support and Hospice UK. In 2023, six Northumberland gardens opened in aid of HospiceCare North Northumberland, including Hedgeley Hall in Powburn, Blagdon House, and the Friary at Alnmouth - with around 3,000 people visiting each one.

It raised £31,700 which will fund a full-time hospice nurse for a year. A spokesperson for HospiceCare North Northumberland said that people from all over the North East visit their open gardens events.

They added: "The money raised goes to support the running costs of our clinical services for people in North Northumberland living with a life-limiting illness. All our services are free at the point of delivery so we rely on events like this to fund the services."

Halton Castle, which is opening its gardens as part of the 2024 Open Garden Scheme

All the North East gardens open this year in the National Open Garden Scheme

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