A BOUNTIFUL crop of apples and pears are ripe for plucking by members of the public at a manor house at the weekend.

Crook Hall is a medieval manor which is set in four-acres of attractive walled gardens, near the banks of the River Wear, in Sidegate, about half a mile from Durham city centre.

Owners Keith and Maggie Bell are inviting visitors to pick the fruit, including an array of Old English varieties, during Crook Hall's Apple and Pear Sunday, from 1pm to 5pm.

Admission is £4, or £3.50 for concessions, and £12 for a family ticket for two adults and up to three children. The fruit is free.