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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Emma Gill

Hidden fairy garden families can visit for free by indoor beach

There's a secret garden in Greater Manchester where families can visit fairies and dinosaurs.

Weeping Ash Garden is actually a private garden, but the public are allowed to visit for free.

In fact it hosts its very own fairy and dinosaur trail for little ones to enjoy.

The garden is next to Bents garden centre, on the border of Wigan and Warrington, and is owned by retired nurseryman John Bent, who has lovingly created and nurtured the site over many years.

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The garden hosts its own fairy and dinosaur trail for little ones to enjoy (Liverpool Echo/Bents)

Designed to 'create tranquil scenes of clarity and perfection', John, who retired from the family business in 1990 and dedicated his time to the creation of Weeping Ash, used his passion for gardening and his extensive plant knowledge to 'create a series of stunning visual sensations'.

John has allowed plants to develop as they would in the wild, reseeding where they land and allowing natural progression and growth; an example of what Bents describes as 'nature at its best'.

Each section is hidden from the next, so it's much larger than it initially seems, with hidden paths and wooded areas.

It was extended from its original site to add a further two acres including a central lawn, perennial beds, a rockery and pond as well as the beautiful woodland trail.

A series of circles of different sizes are joined together using lawns, ponds and flowerbeds to 'create a wonderful sense of secrecy'.

The garden is now open from 11am to 3pm daily, subject to weather conditions. Families are asked to respect the private garden when visiting and any proceeds from donations go to Bents' nominated charity of the year.

Of course it's not the only thing to keep youngsters busy at Bents.

The indoor beach area is back giving little ones the chance to play in the sand while grown ups take a minute to relax.

There's also a playground area outside along with a Jurassic Cove adventure golf course, and there'll be activities running over selected days this half term including children's craft days on May 30 and June 1, costing £5 per child, and a dinosaur event on June 2, with free dino shows at 11am, 12pm, 1pm and 2pm.

For more details, visit the website, or see the Facebook page.

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