Last updated 21:59, Thursday, 31 July 2008

HALTWHISTLE gardening enthusiasts have taken advantage of the expertise of a North-East botanist.

The head of the botany department at Newcastle University, Dr John Richards, treated guests to a botanical walk at the Williamston Nature Reserve, near Slaggyford, on Sunday.

The event was organised as part of the tenth Haltwhistle Plant Festival, organised by the charity Craftwrite Environmental Arts.

Dr Richards took the visitors for a stroll down the River South Tyne and presented them with a chance to view the unusual plants found at the reserve.

Some of the plants that grow there are rare species as the river had been heavily contaminated from the former mines at Nenthead.

Festival chairman Brian Walters said: “Because of the heavy metal contamination there are special plants and he was able to identify some of those for us.”

Dr Richards will round of this year’s festivities by returning to the town to give a talk about the flora of Northumberland.

The talk will be at the South Tyne Wildlife Group’s meeting on December 9 at Manor House Hotel, Haltwhistle.