A historic park enjoying a new lease of life thanks to volunteers has been honoured in this year's London in Bloom awards.

Cranford Park received a silver award in the competition's Country Park of the Year category.

Bob Barton, secretary of Cranford Park Friends, said: "We're blooming-well bowled over by this, which is recognition of the hard work of our volunteers not just in the Secret Garden but around the park, which is a massive 144 acres.

"Credit is also due to the Hillingdon Green Spaces team which does the day to day and heavy duty work. Things like keeping the historic walls clear of ivy and destroying invasive plants are never-ending tasks and we always need more volunteers.

"The Secret Garden is the icing on the multi-layered cake that is Cranford Park. We are getting more and more visitors each month who come to see its wild flowers, vine, well, vegetable plot, and hear about the history at our monthly openings."

The park, which lies just off The Parkway A312, on the borders of Hillingdon and Hounslow boroughs, is steeped in history. It was formerly home to an opulent manor house and before that was occupied by the Knights Templar.

But the listed stables and cellars, which are all that survive of the house, were in danger of being lost forever until Cranford Park Friends reformed a few years ago.

The group has since worked with Hillingdon Council, which manages the park, to preserve the stables, clean up the park and organise a busy calendar of events to attract more visitors. They are also preparing ambitious plans to regenerate the park and open up the stables and cellar all year round if they can secure funding.

The Secret Garden is the former kitchen courtyard of the long-demolished country manor. It is jointly run by the friends group and Macmillan Cancer Support, with cancer patients and their families among the volunteers tending to it.

The last chance to see the garden this year will be on Saturday October 17, from 11.30am-2.30pm, when tea, coffee and cakes will be on sale as part of Macmillan Cancer Support's World's Biggest Coffee Morning.

There will also be a guided tour of the park's orchard at 11am that day, followed by the chance to help make apple juice using a traditional fruit press.

For more information about this and other upcoming events in the park, visit www.cranfordparkfriends.org.