BERE Alston Gardening Club, incorporating the Bere Ferrers Horticultural Society, is organising a Garden Trail in the Bere Peninsula, covering Bere Alston, Bere Ferrers and Weir Quay next weekend.

Sixteen private gardens in this area of outstanding natural beauty will be open to visitors from 2pm to 5.30pm on May 23 and 24. in aid of the Bere Alston Regeneration Project. This aims to raise nearly £500,000 to develop the parish hall, now 100 years old, to provide much improved facilities and services to the parish.

Places of special interest include the small arboretum founded by Lady Harriet Thistleton Dyke, grand-daughter of the first director of Kew Gardens, daughter of the second director and wife of the third.

At Bere Ferrers Station, there is a heritage site with vintage railway stock and history of the Tamar Valley and a fine rock garden built on an old railway siding.

Tickets, priced £3, (accompanied children under 12 free) will be on sale from a caravan on the approach to the village. A map of the garden locations and a brief description of each garden will be provided. Light refreshment will be available in the two villages' Church Halls and there will be opportunities to buy local grown plants.

Bere residents will be able to get tickets from tomorrow (Friday) from John Brown's shop, from Spar in Bere Alston and Margaret's hairdressing in Bere Ferrers.