A HIDDEN set of gardens in the heart of historic Buckland Abbey was finally opened to the public last week.

The Cider House complex was bought back by the National Trust in 2011 after many years of private ownership.

Originally part of the medieval Abbey complex, The Cider House was converted to a 19th century cider pressing barn and then into a home after the second world war.

Backing onto the wooded valley which leads down to the banks of the river Tavy, the gardens themselves have been cultivated over the past three decades by residents Michael and Sarah Stone.

They comprise a walled kitchen garden, a 'wild' garden which is populated at this time of year by a variety of stunning spring flowers, and a selection of herbaceous borders around the house itself.

Jez McDermott, property manager, said he was thrilled to be reuniting the area with the rest of the estate — a project which he had been working on since June 2010.

He recalled the 'big important meeting' at the National Trust headquarters in Swindon, when the ball finally started rolling.

'We had to present our case in the hope we would leave with a signed cheque.

'Think Dragon's Den in tweed,' he said. 'It was a significant moment. Finally all the component parts had come together — it presented a fantastic opportunity to complete the estate.

'Michael and Sarah have left us a great legacy and our gardener Sally and her team have taken on the project with serious vigour.'

Jez compared maintenance on the ancient estate with painting the Forth Bridge, but said Sally and her brilliant staff and volunteers had achieved 'fantastic results'.

'We've got so much to offer across the property,' he said. 'We are looking to build our reputation as somewhere with something for everybody. The history and architecture is fabulous and now we have so much more.

'We have hundreds of acres of woodlands we are keen for people to enjoy, we are opening up many more walks, loads of children's trails and all set in the most beautiful countryside.

'We have fantastic formal gardens, beautiful kitchen gardens, the restaurant has undergone a major refurbishment too.'

Jez said Buckland Abbey Garden and Estate also had a thriving relationship with Buckland Food Group and a wide selection of produce was now being produced — the feeling of being embedded within the community felt 'completely appropriate' he said.

'Having acquired the Cider House, it feels like the circle is complete,' he said. 

Buckland's head gardener Sally Whitfield said the Cider House Garden had been 'quite a challenge' and had involved lots of clearance work.

'We don't have a big team here, we only have three full time people to look after the whole estate, which is just under 700 acres.

'We've only been able achieve what we have with the help of our volunteers.'

That dedicated team of volunteers also came in for praise from Debs Hext, visitor services officer at Buckland.

'We have over 200 volunteers and they are absolutely brilliant — they are such a dedicated team — we are very lucky,' she said.

Matt Bishop, head gardener at The Garden House, situated within a few miles of the estate, said the Cider House Garden was 'beautiful'.

'It's got lots of really interesting plants and it complements the gardens we have at The Garden House very well.'