AN imposing house once owned by a Bishop of Truro and which has breathtaking views over the Vale of York is opening its gardens to the public shortly.

The Hutts, at Grewelthorpe, near Ripon, was built in 1750 as a farmhouse and is regarded as a North Yorkshire haven of tranquility.

It was also once the home of the late Major General Sir Charles Dalton, a one-time director-general of London Zoo, whose wife, Lady Daphne Dalton, died last year.

The new owners, Peter Robinson and his wife, Margaret, are continuing the tradition of the Dalton family by opening the gardens in aid of St John Ambulance on Sunday, May 26.

Framed in a valley overlooked by the house, it is possible to see the White Horse, of Kilburn, in one direction and the towers of York Minister in the other.

The gardens are open from 2pm to 5pm and admission costs £2.50 (children 50p). The gardens are unsuitable for wheelchairs.