AN APPLE festival will celebrate the first year restored gardens at a Georgian manor house have been open.

The Friends of Burton Manor, who aim to secure the house as a leisure and education facility for the community, are hosting an event to celebrate the great British apple on the weekend of October 20-21, at the house.

In Edwardian times Burton Manor was the home of the son of three-time Prime Minister William Gladstone.

More recently it was an adult education college, which closed its doors in March 2011.

While its future is still uncertain, the Friends restored the Victorian glasshouse and orchard and much of the grounds which are now open to the public with the aid of Lottery funding.

This year is likely to be a poor fruit harvest due to a cold damp spell at pollination time. But it will not prevent the staging of the apple festival.

The restored Victorian glasshouse will house local organisations and producers promoting what they do in the area, craft workshops will be open for visitors and members of a local archery group will be giving demonstrations in the grounds.

Gordale Nurseries will give expert advice on fruit growing and special offers on fruit trees.

Also attending will be the Willaston Community Orchard, Cheshire Landscape Trust, Wirral Beekeepers and throughout the weekend there will be a series of talks on the history of Burton Manor and its restoration with guided tours (weather permitting). The festival closes on the Sunday with a ukulele band.

The coffee shop will be staffed by a volunteer catering team providing refreshments including a ploughman’s lunch comprising local ingredients from the food stalls.

The gates will be open from 10am-4pm, entrance is £1 for adults and free for under-14s.