THE National Trust are celebrating 20 years since acquiring Croome’s parkland, near Worcester, and two key people have been with them every step of the way.

John Sayers and Nigel Matthews are now the longest-serving team members helping to restore the parkland to the famous 18th century landscape designer Capability Brown’s vision.

Katherine Alker, Croome’s garden and parks manager, said: "John and Nigel have given hundreds if not thousands of hours of their time to volunteer in the garden and park at Croome since 1996 when the NT purchased Croome Park.

"Their memories of how overgrown the place was in the early days makes us realise just how much we have achieved over the past 20 years. We’re grateful to all our volunteers, but this is a particularly significant milestone for John and Nigel, so congratulations to them.”

The parkland had been neglected over many years and work began in 1996 replanting trees, dredging the lake and river, restoring statues and building and reinstating miles of historic pathways.

Initially, both Mr Sayers and Mr Matthews volunteered one Sunday a month before Croome was open to the public.

Mr Sayers, an engineer and active with the Worcester Auto Club, saw an advert in the Worcester News asking for volunteers and came along to the first Sunday that the team started work on the garden and park.

Mr Matthews, of Pershore, a long-standing trust member, came to Croome in Easter 1996 to an open weekend and signed up to join the team.

Initially the whole area was overgrown with a tangle of trees, and the volunteers spent time chopping and clearing the growth, to the point where the volunteer crew became known as the slash-and-burn team.

“At that time no-one ever envisaged the garden and park being returned to the fantastic place it is today," said Mr Matthews.

Croome is open throughout the year. The park and lakeside are open from 10am until 4.30pm and Croome Court is open from 11am to 4pm every day.