News from the gard gardening world
Top venues in the UK attract record numbers of visitors!
Many gardens opening to the public scored record visitor numbers last year, figures from a leading trade body show. The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) showed that of the 241 top venues they represent, those with gardens achieved an average 9.1 per cent increase year on year, compared to all venues which saw an average increase of 7.2 per cent on 2015.
Scottish attractions had the greatest increase overall, with 15.6 per cent growth on the previous year. Some performed incredibly well with National Trust for Scotland venues Crathes Castle (placed 175), and Pitmedden (placed 217), both in Aberdeenshire, scoring a whopping 134 and 112.5 per cent increases respectively, while in the Highlands, freshly- refurbished Inverewe (placed 181) achieved a very respectable 62 per cent.
Many National Trust properties with gardens also performed strongly, with the top five, such as Mottisfont, Hampshire, and Tyntesfield, near Bristol, seeing 15-25 per cent increases. Westonbirt, the National arboretum in Gloucestershire, run by the Forestry Commission, saw a 15.5 per cent increase following the creation of a tree-top walkway and new family attractions.
In London, new features also helped bolster numbers. Hampton Court Palace increased by 34 per cent, up 21 places on 2015, largely due to the launch of the family-orientated Magic Garden. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, increased by 18 per cent after the installation of the ‘Hive’ bee sculpture and the opening of the 320m (1,050ft) long Great Boardwalk Borders.