WORTHING’S world-famous gardens at Highdown have received a major boost with the award of lottery funding to help preserve their future.

The gardens, internationally important because they are home to hundreds of rare and exotic plants and trees uniquely grown on chalk soil, are visited by tens of thousands of people every year.

Worthing Borough Council, which owns and maintains the gardens, has now successfully applied for Heritage Lottery Fund money to develop a long-term survival plan for the landmark which is open free to the public.

The fund has awarded almost £100,000 to the council to develop a new plan for the 8.5 acre-gardens which will include:

  • Action to preserve plants which could be crucial to stopping extremely rare specimens becoming extinct.
  • The establishment of breeding processes to ensure the survival of the rare plants.
  • The building of a new visitor centre to tell the story of the gardens and its surrounding landscape.
  • Plans to tell the fascinating story of the originator of the gardens, Sir Frederick Stern, and his contribution to worldwide horticulture.
  • Proposals to develop community ownership of the gardens through a full volunteer programme.