Open invitation from village

Hepworth, near Holmfirth, and one of the settings for Last of the Summer Wine, is presenting its eighth biennial garden trail, with 14 gardens opening their gates to the paying public.

A dozen of the gardens are in the village, one is in the neighbouring hamlet of Barnside and one is just outside the village – and for the second time, Hepworth J & I School are opening their grounds to let visitors see their wildlife area, pond, vegetable plot and other environmental areas.

Hepworth is not only famous for its links with the long-running TV series, but it’s also renowned as a plague village, not quite of the scale of Derbyshire’s Eyam (also having an open gardens event on June 30-July 1), but still steeped in history. It stands some 800 feet above sea level and has its roots in weaving, with many of the houses converted from weavers’ crofts. The centre of the village is a conservation area and the gardens will give people the chance to see both the very old and the very new.

An extra attraction will be an art exhibition, staged by Hepworth Art Group, in Holy Trinity Church.

Tickets for the event, on Sunday, July 8 (1-6pm), cost £4, with accompanied children free and will be available on the day at the main car park at Dobroyd Mill, off Butt Lane (use postcode HD9 1HT for Butt Lane), at the participating gardens and at Holmfirth Information Office.

Marton cum Grafton, near Boroughbridge, has several gardens opening tomorrow (June 24) and next Wednesday (June 27), while Cawood, near Selby, has gardens opening in July, and Dacre Banks and Summerbridge are doing the same on July 8.

And there are many more villages dotted around the county which are planning to do their bit for charity and good causes.

For information about Hepworth Garden Trail, contact Sheena Blunden, 01484 688131; [email protected] or Gloria Styring, 01484 688158; malcolm.styring@talktalk

Copies of Yorkshire Gardens 2012, listing gardens opening for the National Gardens Scheme, can be obtained free by sending an A5 size SAE to Felicity Bowring, Lawkland Hall, Austwick, Lancaster, LA2 8AT.