Get ready to drop in on first signs of spring

WINTER WONDER: Snowdrops are blooming beautifully right now.

Take the snowdrop, for example. Every February, a few select gardens invite the public to pop along to see what are often considered the true harbingers of spring.

But if snowdrops have bloomed early the visit can be a big disappointment. Hopefully, despite a mild winter, this year’s snowdrop spectaculars will still thrill.

So, today marks a very important event for one of the most famous of snowdrop gardens – Hodsock Priory (01909 591274, hodsockpriory.com), near Blyth.

This is one of the earliest openings; many more will follow across Yorkshire and the North as a whole. For instance, Austwick Hall, near Settle, in North Yorkshire, is the home of a woodland snowdrop walk and sculpture trail which, at the cost of £4, will be open on February 12, 13, 18, 20, 22, 26 and 27. Call 01524 251794 or visit www.austwickhall.co.uk

And the magnificent Goldsborough Hall, in North Yorkshire, will be opening on Sunday, February 12 and Sunday, February 19, from 10am-4pm (01423 867321, goldsboroughhall.com) while Devonshire Mill, Canal Lane, Pocklington (01759 302147, devonshiremill.co.uk) welcomes visitors on Sunday February 19 (11am-5pm).

And Bridge Farm House, at Long Lane, Great Heck, Selby (01977 661277 [email protected]), opens on Sunday February 26 (noon-4.30pm).