THE Garden House, in Buckland Monachorum has received a grant to enable it to stabilise its operations post-lockdown and start to rebuild the much loved garden and grounds as a vital Dartmoor visitor attraction.

The Garden House was one of 445 heritage organisations across the country to receive a financial boost from the Culture Recovery Fund to help them through the coronavirus pandemic.

The Dartmoor charity hit the headlines in Spring when it successfully launched a crowdfunding campaign on Crowdfunder.co.uk to raise the vital funds it needed to survive.

The fund, part of the Government’s #HereForCulture campaign, will now be used to maintain operations at The Garden House, keep it open and be used to help the business start to grow again.

The funding means the garden can continue to stay open to the public over the winter on a limited basis on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays 11am to 3pm.

Ian Douglas, trustee of The Garden House said: ‘We are absolutely thrilled at this result. This is wonderful news — the funds couldn’t have come at a better time — and will enable us to stay open for the local community and visitors to Dartmoor. The Garden House is a very special place and we are determined it’s preserved for generations to come.’

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden said: ‘As a nation it is essential that we preserve our heritage and celebrate and learn from our past. This massive support package will protect our shared heritage for future generations, save jobs and help us prepare for a cultural bounceback post Covid.’

The Garden House is owned by The Fortescue Garden Trust, a charity dedicated to continuing to look after the garden and preserve it for generations to come. The charity aims to be able to continue to share this unique and special place which brings the community together, nurturing a love for nature and educating young and old alike.