I should like to thank the thousands of visitors who accepted the precautions taken here during the foot-and-mouth crisis, though much of Wakehurst Place was cordoned off for many weeks.

We would have liked to have allowed access to all areas but we had the livelihoods of neighbouring landowners to consider.

I am pleased to say we had very few complaints and only a handful of people did not seem to understand the steps necessary to minimise the risks.

Thankfully, the crisis seems to have passed and we are able to re-open the woodlands, Millennium Seed Bank and Loder Valley reserve for people to enjoy as normal.

-Trevor Butler, publicity officer, Royal Botanic Gardens, Wakehurst Place, Ardingly