Prison garden given award

13:34 26th August 2009

Garden and greenhouse enthusiasts may be interested to hear the winner of the best-kept prison garden has been announced.

Judged by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the competition was won by east Yorkshire's HMP Everthorpe.

It was awarded the Windlesham Trophy after beating Suffolk's HMP Sudbury by one point.

The trophy is named after the 1893 chairman of the parole board Lord Windlesham, who founded the competition.

According to the RHS, he felt it would encourage effort and foster a sense of achievement among prisoners.

Commenting on the win, Everthorpe governor Susan Morrison told the body the success was down to a year's worth of work.

"Our visitors were impressed, not only by the lovely and imaginative gardens, but also by the general cleanliness of the prison, the helpfulness and enthusiasm of the staff [and] the positive atmosphere around the prison," she explained.

Meanwhile, garden and greenhouse enthusiasts will be able to view an institution of a different kind, when Cambridge University opens its grounds to the public next month.