New Year's Day: the best garden events Kew is opening on New Year's Day for its festive "After Dark" experience, which lets you see the gardens bathed with magical light effects. Follow an illuminated trail and don't forget to visit the Christmas village for food and a ride on the carousel. Adults £12.50, children £8 Get lost in a Cornish garden Cornwall's The Lost Gardens of Heligan, famous for its rhododendrons and camellias, is open for free on New Year's Day - though visitors are encouraged to make a £2 donation to charity. Explore the botanical garden's 200 acres and get up close and personal with wildlife at the Interpretation Centre. Lost Gardens of Heligan, Pentewan, St.Austell, Cornwall Stretch your legs If you feel the need for a spot of exercise after all that Christmas gluttony and TV watching, take a five-mile guided stroll through the beautiful estate of Gibside in Tyne and Wear. Gibside, Rowlands Gill, Gateshead. 11am, free. Skate by the lake The spectacular gardens of Trentham are open as usual on New Year's Day, with a real ice rink in a beautiful lakeside setting for you to take a spin on. The Trentham Estate, Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent READ: The best gardens to visit in January 2014 VIEW: the best National Trust winter gardens, in pictures