Visitors welcome at Winkworth as tearoom participates in Eat Out to Help Out scheme

Visitors to Winkworth Arboretum who turn up without a ticket are being warned they will be turned away.

Tickets are released every Friday for the following week, and visitors are being asked to call the booking line and cancel their slot if they can't turn up.

A spokesperson said: "Our local teams are accounting for a certain per cent of people not turning up when managing capacity of our gardens and parklands, to make sure we're welcoming as many people we can do safely.

"We're also asking those who aren't able to visit as planned, to give our booking line a call so we can make tickets available again."

The tearoom at the site is taking part in the government's Eat Out to Help Out scheme, with visitors getting 50% off food and drink on Mondays to Wednesdays until August 31st.

Winkworth Arboretum was created in the early 20th century by Dr Wilfred Fox, a local doctor with a passion for preserving the wooded hillside near his home. He bequeathed it to the National Trust.

Over the last 60 years the organisation has built up an internationally significant collection of over 1,000 different species of trees and shrubs – many of them rare.

Visitors - and dogs on leads - are welcome. The play areas are currently closed.

Visit the National Trust website to book tickets.