GARDENS at a historic Ribble Valley mansion that have been hidden away from public eyes for years are set to be revealed later this month.

The owners of Townhead in Slaidburn are inviting people to look around its restored gardens on Sunday, June 28, from 2pm to 5pm.

Built in 1732 the Grade II-listed house was restored recently with the help of Brestwer Bye Architects after the mansion had fallen into rack and ruin.

After more than 70 years of neglect it was taken over in 2008 by new owners who spent £100,000s to restore the property to its former glory.

As a result of the extensive work, which included completely replacing the roof and repairing the floors and stonework, the mansion was taken off English Heritage’s ‘Heritage At Risk’ register in October 2013.

Sandra Johnson, who owns the house, said: "The Walled Garden, historically known as 'The Pleasure Grounds', was the first area to be re-landscaped and re-planted.

"The buttressed walls themselves were a mammoth feat of repair, and the greenhouse, which looked a total wreck, was completely dismantled, repaired and re-built.

"After a major programme of drainage, the garden was ready to begin its transformation to include a 60 metre herbaceous border lined with lavender and thyme, an orchard, a wild flower garden, a vegetable area and a cut flower area.

"Now in its third season, this walled garden is gaining maturity and giving credit to its former description – the Pleasure Grounds.

"Between the house garden and the walled garden lies an interesting banked area known as The Folly where amongst the trees can be found a quirky collection of stone pillars, wooden and stone Buddhas, urns, a carved USA Uncle Sam, to name but a few interesting features."

The mansion was built by Henry Wigglesworth using materials from an earlier house on the site which was incorporated into the new building.

Significant alterations were carried out in the early 19th century as the property changed ownership from the Wigglesworths to the King-Wilkinsons at auction in 1855.

The mansion was used as a family home until the start of the 1900s, when it was primarily used as a shooting lodge until the start of the Second World War.

It housed evacuees from East London during the war and was then used to prepare meals for Slaidburn’s primary school until the 1970s when it was abandoned.

Much of the history of the house was lost when a bomb fell on the owner’s Blackburn offices.

The new owners are now using the mansion as a family home.

In November 2013 it picked up the Best Restoratin of a Georgian Country House at the Georgian Group Awards.

The gardens were planted by Cath’s Garden Plants from Heaves near Sizergh in Cumbria who will have a plant stall at the event later this month.