THE North’s biggest private arboretum is bursting into life with a 100 acre display of bluebells and blossom.

Thorp Perrow near Bedale, North Yorkshire, has five national collections of trees with 66 of the worlds most unusual, known as Champion trees.

Curator Faith Douglas said it’s one of the best displays they’ve seen with bluebells, along with spring blossom including magnolia, cherry and viburnum creating a stunning backdrop to the collection.

The arboretum also houses a bird of prey and mammal centre with chicks from their ongoing breeding programme recently hatching, alongside baby meerkats and wallabies.

Ms Douglas said: “Spring at Thorp Perrow is a great way to end our winter blues and fill ourselves with new life. The beautiful displays of blossom on early flowering trees and shrubs fill the air with wonderful fragrance and the spring flowering bulbs such as bluebells add carpets of colour all around the Arboretum.”

Admission is £8.70 for adults, £7.40 concessions and £5.30 children aged four to 16 with family tickets available. For details visit www.thorpperrow.com