THE late Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould would no doubt have been delighted with the efforts of a group dedicated to the restoration of an Edwardian woodland garden at Lewtrenchard that was very much close to his heart.

The renowed antiquarian, novelist and writer of hymns such as 'Onward Christian Soldiers' and 'Now the Day has Ended', created the garden, which is close to Lewtrenchard Church, and now what is the Lewtrenchard Manor Hotel. At the same time he rebuilt a holy well there in 1913, just before the outbreak of the first world war.

It is believed the garden's creation was due to Sabine wanting to encourage his wife, Grace, who was crippled with arthritis, to exercise and enjoy the peaceful setting of the woodland glen.

However, time passed and the gardens fell into a state of neglect with nature reclaiming the six-and-a-half-acre site.

But it was, thankfully perhaps, this romantic link to the origins of the gardens, which in 2006 encouraged professional gardener Robert Stemson and amateur local historian Dr Ron Wawman to set about restoring them to their former glory.

In 2007 they brought together a group of enthusiastic volunteers to form the charitable trust — the Friends of the Forgotten Garden of Lewtrenchard.

Now, thanks to the effort of this dedicated band of around 40 members, including ten who were mostly involved in the physical labour, their hard work has born fruit with the opening at the end of April of the woodland area to the public.

Ruth Dawe, the chairman of the friends, told the Times: 'This woodland garden is a peaceful haven in a busy world.

'With a lot of support, hard work and encouragement we are delighted to have arrived at a time when we can at last partially open the Forgotten Garden of Lewtrenchard to the general public.

'In the words of our patron, Dr Merriol Almond, by doing so let us hope it is not forgotten again by future generations.'

Turning 'a dream into reality' has been the aim of the friends, who have leased the site from the Baring Gould Corporation.?Thanks to their labour, a vast number of weed trees and overgrown laurels that were cluttering the woodland glen have now been cleared away.

Already, 255 saplings have been introduced along with 35 specimen trees, which were planted in memory of loved ones.

This spring has seen the glen bedecked by a host of bluebells, daffodils and narcissi and wood anenome. There are rhododendron, lilac and buddleia shrubs and trees including rowan, maple, hazel, willow, beech, wild cherry and many types of native oak.

To illustrate the scale of the project to restore the site, since 2007 more than 100 bonfires have taken place of the 'deadwood' and there is still much work to do.

The works would not have been possible without much appreciated support from many individuals and organisations who have given time, skills and sponsorship. Among these are West Devon Borough Council, the Plymouth branch of Community Volunteers and St Peter's Church, Lewtrenchard.

The friends' long term aim is not only to nurture a beautiful place for everyone to enjoy amid a woodland scape of flowers and fauna which grow on the banks of a stream, but also to encourage the natural wildlife whose home it is.

They also intend sympathetically to create a circular walk route, landscape the streams, and by 2013 restore the original site of the holy well itself.

June Cole, who is the secretary of the friends and lives in Lewdown, said she was delighted to be playing a part in the restoration of the garden.

She said: 'My early memories of the area go back to the times my mother walked my brother and me from our farm nearby to Lewtrenchard Church to place flowers on grandmother's grave.

'I vividly remember the oak trees and the colours of the rhododendrons. Then years later how the introduction of pigs to the site brought so much destruction and how many parts of the garden and woodland had, over the years, reverted to a wilderness with many trees in need of attention.'

l The Friends of the Forgotten Garden of Lewtrenchard are always pleased to welcome new volunteers.

If you would like to join them or would like further information visit their website on http://www.forgottengarden.co.uk">www.forgottengarden.co.uk or call Ruth Dawe on 01566 783127 or June Cole on 01566 783122.

Visitors to the gardens, though most welcome, are reminded it is a wild area, with works in progress, and have to take care, especially in wet and windy conditions.