OKEHAMPTON?S best kept secret has finally been revealed.
On Monday the official wraps came off the former derelict playground at the Ockment Centre ? to unveil an imaginative vision vibrant with colour.
What was once a rubble-strewn wilderness has been transformed into a stunning garden to be enjoyed by the whole community.
At the official opening, guests and visitors strolled about in perfect conditions beneath a cloudless spring sky while a musician played classical guitar.
Created under the direction of local gardening expert Tim Argles, the project has taken more than 12 months to complete with much input from local volunteers and skilled workers.
This is the region?s first Doorstep Green and one of only 200 created in England. It is supported with lottery money from the New Opportunities Fund under the fund?s Green Spaces and Sustainable Communities initiative.
In his opening speech a bowler-hatted Jeffe Cunliffe, a trustee of Ockment Community Centre, praised the positive input of everyone involved. He said it was a day people had waited a long time for.
?Now today has come and it has brought us this beautiful area. There is no doubt that this will be a great asset to the town,? he said.
?There has been some very hard work done here. It?s a wonderful building, wonderful surroundings and it has opened up this area of Okehampton. I hope it will be put to good use.?
Town mayor Christine Marsh, a former pupil at the school, described the garden project as ?Outstanding. Absolutely brilliant!?
She said it was a credit to all the hard work and perseverance of everyone involved.
?It is a pocket hidden away that caters for everyone.?
Tim Argles, the man behind the design, described it as ?a garden of surprises? with its sensory area, meadow section with bog garden, children?s area and the enhanced natural delights of the riverbank and leat.
At the centre is a granite water feature. The sections are united by a wisteria-draped walkway while two balconies afford excellent views of the river.
?I think it will reach its best within three to four years when everything starts to be established. It is a gradual process,? said Tim.
The idea came originally from former Okehampton College deputy head Jerry
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