Hever Castle & Gardens unveils new sensory garden tours

Hever Castle & Gardens in Kent is extending its garden tours to include a specialist sensory version, suitable for groups and aimed to help those with visual impairments.

The gardening team has undergone training from Kent Association for the Blind in order to start offering the first tours as part of this year’s Hever in Bloom event, running from 26th June to 1st July.

‘The Senses’ is the theme of this year’s Hever in Bloom with a focus on the ‘scent and flavours’ of the garden.

Visitors to this year’s event, which takes place every year, will be able to enjoy the rose displays in the gardens and in the castle itself.

They will be able to take a free scented tour of the garden with one of the gardening team at Hever, and enjoy tastings, demonstrations and rose flavoured cakes on sale in the Restaurants.

After Hever in Bloom the new sensory tours will be private guided ones and aimed at those with a visual impairment. They will be offered when the roses are in bloom and at other selected times throughout the year.

The tour launch

People supported by Demelza Hospice Care for Children, Kent Association for the Blind and the Macular Society were among the first to experience the new sensory tour on 20th June, ahead of Hever in Bloom.

Private guided sensory garden tours are available to book for groups, and can be arranged by calling 01732-861701 or emailing groups@hevercastle.co.uk.

For further information visit www.hevercastle.co.uk/visit/groups.

(Photo credit: Hever Castle & Gardens)