The Lost Gardens of Lowther

Finally! After having laid abandoned for almost 70 years, the gates of Lowther Castle and Gardens will be thrown open on 22nd April 2011and visitors will be able to see the scale and potential of this exciting new visitor attraction.

I have had the pleasure of working with Andrew Mercer the Project Director since he started in post last year and what a job he has done! Put aside the roller coaster ride of securing the funding, forget about the planning issues of working on an historic site with more wildlife and protected species than you can imagine, and just marvel at his enthusiasm for a project whose scale and potential is not likely to be found anywhere else in the UK at present.

When the site opens at Easter, visitors will feel as if they have jumped over the wall into an aged neighbour's garden - unkept and abandoned, with the lofty ruins of the Castle behind scaffolding, the renovation of this site is very much work in progress.

But judge for yourself - you don't really need much of an excuse to visit The Lake District for a day visit or, better still, a short break: Lowther Castle and Gardens is another great reason!

http://www.lowthercastle.org/

One Giant Leap for Jodrell Bank

I have just had a privileged sneak preview of the new visitor facilities at Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre in Cheshire. It is due to open within the next few weeks and it is going to be FANTASTIC!

The all new visitor attraction includes a  new entrance building - the Planet Pavilion - and a new exhibition and events building - the Space Pavilion. A new cafe - which will be operated by the guys who currently run the Award winning cafe inside the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester and who focus on regional produce - has a glass wall with amazing views of the Lovell telescope. No doubt that this will become the destination of choice for Cheshire's Afternoon Tea Set.

The gardens have also had a make-over, with a new space themed (what else?) garden, designed by TV Gardener Chris Beardshaw.

Jodrell Bank really is on a roll at the moment. Not only is whirlwind Director Teresa Anderson leading the transformation of the facility into one of the region's best new visitor attractions, she is also spearheading the application to get Jodrell Bank recognised as a World Heritage Site! All this, and still the site is working round the clock as the UK's national radio astronomy facility, conducting international research!

http://www.jodrellbank.manchester.ac.uk/visitorcentre/