Botanic garden ready to reopen in New Year

Durham University aims to reopen the grounds of its Botanic Garden to the public in January – ending nine months of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 24-acre garden in H o l l i n g s id e L a n e, S outh Road, Durham, offers a wide variety of landscapes to exp l o re a n d u su a l l y attracts about 80,000 visitors a year.

It has been closed to the public since March, although university students and staff have been allowed to visit since September to enjoy outdoor exercise.

The garden will reopen to the public on Monday, January 11, and – to thank the public for their continuing support, entry will be free until the end of March.

Public opening times will be Monday to Friday, 10am to 2.30pm, but the visitor centre, toilet facilities, greenhouses and bird hide will remain closed.

Mike Hughes, the head gardener, said: “We’re very excited to be welcoming visitors back from January. We’ve been hard at work in the nine months since we closed, so visitors can look forward to plenty to explore and enjoy.”

During the closure, Mr Hughes has been helping friends and supporters keep in touch with how th e ga rd e n h a s changed through a daily photo blog, wh ic h n ow r u n s to thousands of beautiful images.

He said: “It’s been great to be able to keep in touch with friends and regular visitors during these long months through the blog. I’ve been amazed at its popularity. I’m grateful for everyone’s support, and I know many are very much looking forward to seeing the garden for real.”