Park Bench London

Life is a beach at Bishops Park

2009-07-03T10:06:00.003+01:00

Exciting plans to restore an urban beach in one of the most beautiful and historic parks in London have been announced by Hammersmith & Fulham Council.

In Edwardian times, families from across London descended on 'Margate Sands' in Bishops Park, Fulham, every summer. Hammersmith & Fulham Council now hopes to recreate that special seaside atmosphere.

The beach concept forms part of the council’s plans to rejuvenate both Bishops Park and the neighbouring Fulham Palace Walled Garden. And residents were able to have their say on the ambitious proposals at a special event at Bishops Park on Sunday June 21.

Once the council has finalised its designs for the both open spaces, it will apply to the Heritage Lottery Fund for up to £3.5m of funding.

As well as recreating the beach and restoring the ornamental lake, proposals on the agenda include:

Refurbishing the famous Fulham Palace walled garden – This would see the vinery and bothy restored to support a working walled garden.
Restoration of the picturesque historic stone bridge across the pond in the park.
Restoration of the cafe building and its surrounds
The extension of the stableblock in the Palace grounds to support a purpose-built education facility.

Cllr Paul Bristow, cabinet member for residents’ services, said: “Both Bishops Park and Fulham Palace grounds are of huge historic importance to the borough and these plans will see them reaffirmed as jewels in the Hammersmith & Fulham crown. Make sure that you attend the event on June 21 so that you can see our plans and comment on this hugely exciting project.”

The plans form part of the council’s ParkLife campaign – which sees the council improving the quality of life for all people who live, work and play in Hammersmith and Fulham by providing award winning parks and open spaces that are clean, green, safe and sustainable.

For more information and to view development proposals and comment online visit http://www.lbhf.gov.uk/ or www.citizenspace.com/local/lbhf/.

Vote for St John at Hackney Churchyard Gardens in The National Lottery Awards 2009

2009-07-03T09:55:00.003+01:00

Following a complete transformation, St John at Hackney Churchyard Gardens has reached the semi-finals of The National Lottery Awards 2009, in the Best Heritage Project category.

The National Lottery Awards are an annual search to find the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects and celebrate the people behind them, the great work that they do and the difference that they make. Each week £25m is raised for Good Causes by Lottery players with a total of £23bn raised since 1994.

St John at Hackney Churchyard Gardens used to be a magnet for anti-social behaviour, having fallen into significant decline over a number of years. Today, it is an oasis in one of the most densely populated, built-up areas of London. Over 1m people use the site each year and it has recently received a Green Flag and a Hackney Design Award.

"Crime and disorder in the area surrounding St John's Churchyard has reduced considerably since the area was regenerated. Thanks to the efforts of Groundwork and all the other partners involved with this worthwhile project, the area is no longer a no-go zone for local residents. Tackling anti-social behaviour and the problems associated with street drinking is a high priority for us; the transformation of the Churchyard has played a key part in improving the quality of life of those living near by." Inspector Andy Walker of Hackney Police.

Tombs and monuments were renovated; boards with information on the sites history were erected; new trees, flowerbeds and lighting were installed, as were a play area and a base for the Council’s maintenance staff.

Following the work, the site, previously dominated by street drinking, vandalism, car theft and robberies, is now a thriving part of the community. It provides a route for people walking from Hackney Central station to Homerton Hospital (the Olympic hospital) and for children attending St John, St James and Morningside Primary Schools as well as the new City Academy. Church attendances have doubled and weddings have increased from two in the preceding three years to fifteen since the work was completed in 2007. A heritage worker has been employed, organising community action days and activities with local schools. A walk-in clinic for street drinkers has been set-up offsite. The PCT run an HIV outreach service from the site. Job fairs, concerts, and exhibitions of local art are all held here. There is an artist in residence, working with local children and a café is opening soon. Most of all, the site is now a popular place for local office workers at lunch time, parents and carers and their children, and anyone who wants to read, relax or watch the world go by.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (£1.79m), Groundwork London (£410k), and the Council (£100k) funded the project.

In the semi-final stage of The National Lottery Awards, St John at Hackney Churchyard Gardens will be competing for the public’s vote against nine other projects in its category. The three projects with the most votes will go on to face a second public vote in the finals, with the overall category winner announced during a special BBC 1 television programme transmitted later in the year.

Voting starts at 9am on Monday 22 June and runs until midday on Friday 10 July. Vote via www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards for free or phone - 0844 686 8775 (calls to this number will cost 5p from a BT land-line. Calls from other networks may vary, calls from mobiles could cost considerably more.)

LPGT launches London Gardens Online

2009-06-26T18:32:00.003+01:00

Last year London Parks & Gardens Trust successfully raised funds to make information from our Inventory of Historic Green Spaces widely available as a dedicated website. The 3-year project commenced in December 2008 and will be completed by late 2011, with new research, photography and historic images brought in to illustrate the entries.

Although not all the information will available online until then, we wanted to launch London Gardens Online early on and it is now live at: http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/.

In the first instance it includes core information on sites on the Inventory Database, which now comprises over 2430 entries, and these are gradually being uploaded. We wanted to make some information available now and to give people a taster of the full website, but we’d also like to encourage people to contribute comments, knowledge and feedback.

Funding support has been received from The Pilgrim Trust, the J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust, the Basil Samuel Charitable Trust and an English Heritage Regional Capacity Building Grant.

The website has been designed and developed by Footmark Media Ltd, the team who created the award-winning www.parkexplorer.org.uk for LPGT’s education project.

Boost for London Sparrows

2009-04-04T10:26:00.002+01:00

The sparrow population of London has plummeted in the last 15 years, along with the bird population of the rest of the UK, as a result of increased traffic, paved-over gardens, removal of trees and development of green spaces, leading to a lack of seeds and insects for the sparrows to eat. The RSPB says many chicks are dying in the nest of dehydration or starvation because there are not enough moisture-rich insects for them to eat.

Now the SITA Trust, an environmental trust funded by the government’s landfill tax, has launched a plan to help them recover their numbers. The conservation charity has teamed up with a number of partners across Greater London and allocated £170,000 to run a three-year project to try and provide food-rich habitats for the birds.

Tim Webb, spokesman for the RSPB, said the plan was to sow areas of more than 20 parks in the capital with wild grasses and flowers to provide seeds and attract insects. Each site will be managed using three different planting schemes of grass seed, wildflower meadow and wildlife seed mix. While the main aim of the scheme is to boost sparrow numbers, the project could also encourage butterflies and moths back to the capital and provide food for other birds and bats.

Tim Webb said he was concerned that some people might think the wild areas, which will be in green spaces including Green Park and Kensington Gardens, were not being managed properly. But the patches of long grass were part of a scientific project which would benefit the environment in those areas.

The three-year scheme will run on sites owned by Lee Valley Regional Park Authorrty, the City of London, the Royal Parks Agency, and the London Boroughs of Wandsworth, Islington, Southwark and Sutton.

The 20 parks and organisations taking part in the scheme are:

Hampstead Heath (City of London)
Laycock Street (Islington)
Whittington Park (Islington)
Paradise Park (Islington)
Highbury Fields (Islington)
Burgess Park (Southwark)
Peckham Rye Park (Southwark)
Tooting Common (Wandsworth)
Tottenham Marshes (Lee Valley)
Waterworks (Lee Valley)

Leyton Marshes (Lee Valley)
Green Park (The Royal Parks)
Kensington Gardens (The Royal Parks)
Hyde Park (The Royal Parks)
Primrose Hill (The Royal Parks)
Perretts Field (Sutton)
Bedding Park (Sutton)
St Helier Open Space (Sutton)
Rose Hill Park East (Sutton)
Cheam Park (Sutton)

Crystal Palace plan raises park protection issues

2009-04-04T10:04:00.003+01:00

Hazelle Jackson writes:

The latest controversy to hit London parks is whether or not part of an historic park should be sold off for luxury housing to fund the restoration of the park. This raises important questions over the protection afforded to public parkland in London and Metropolitan open land in general.

The issue looks likely to come to a head in recent proposals to develop luxury housing on part of Crystal Palace Park as battle lines are drawn up by supporters and opponents of the scheme.

The London Development Agency Masterplan for Crystal Palace Park includes proposals to sell off parkland on the edge of the park to build nearly 200 private luxury homes. Bromley Council approved the LDA 'Masterplan' in December 2008 despite the application’s conflicting with their planning policies and the Mayor's London Plan. Also supporting the plan as the best way forward to restore the park is the Crystal Palace Campaign, whose spokesman Ray Sacks said: "This is the best comprehensive plan since 1854. We want to save the park from decay."

Lined up in opposition are the four neighbouring boroughs and a number of councillors and amenity groups. London Assembly Green member Darren Johnson commented: "By allowing the partial sell-off of Crystal Palace Park to raise funds for regeneration, the mayor has ignored strong local opposition and set a precedent that could threaten all of London's open spaces. It looks like he has chosen to ignore the contradiction of running a competition to enhance London's parks whilst at the same time giving the go-ahead to build over a section of one."

John Payne, chairman of the Crystal Palace Community Association, said: "This is the beginning of the end for this park and parks across the country." The group has been fighting the scheme since plans were first submitted by the LDA in November last year.

The plans also have the support of London Mayor Boris Johnson, who has written to Bromley stating that the proposals would “result in ... a significant benefit to south London". A spokesman for the Mayor said: "The new homes are limited to two sites that have never been part of the formal park, and both have previously been built on. There will be no precedent, as historically Crystal Palace Park has funded its upkeep by selling land for housing on its fringes."

The mayor’s support comes despite a manifesto promise he would protect green spaces, and even individual gardens, from ‘greedy developers’ and generated an angry response from John Payne who said: 'We hoped and expected Mr Johnson to reverse the plans and are shocked by his support for them."

As the proposals for development on Metropolitan Open Land and protected parkland are contrary to policies in Bromley's UDP, this is known as a 'Departure Application' and Bromley must refer it to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). In January the Communities Secretary, Hazel Blears, called in the plans and signalled her intention to hold a public inquiry.

The Masterplan for Crystal Palace Park is by Latz and Partner At the moment work is concentrated on the removal of asbestos from the National Sports Centre in readiness for its use as a training pool for the Olympics. (Check Google for latest update). Latz and Partner have also won the competition for a Masterplan for the Lea River Park which will link the Olympics Park southwards to the river.

Gardens Matter

2009-04-04T09:58:00.002+01:00

LPGT Chairman Chris Sumner writes:

Amid the committee meetings, emails and deadlines, it is quite easy to lose sight of why we are all in this game, which is because we like and enjoy parks and gardens and think that they matter.

I am interested in history and design and also like plants, and I enjoy gardens at all sorts of levels. It interests me that a plant was first collected in the wild in New England in the seventeenth century, or in the foothills of the Himalayas in the nineteenth; that knowledge for me adds to the appeal of the plant, and the fact that it has been growing happily for hundreds of years and looking at home thousands of miles from its native site increases its romance. That is not to say that 1 like all plants; heathers are fine on Scottish hi I hillsides and Surrey heaths but elsewhere they leave me cold; and while there are many good reasons to visit Wakehurst Place, the prospect of seeing the national collection of skimmias is not for me one of them. Orchids growing on a steep roadside bank in Devon are lovely, but their exotic cousins massed in greenhouses can only impress me without my liking them one bit.

Parks, and the effect on parks of proposed developments, continue to make headlines in the London papers. On 18th February one of the Trust's patrons Hal Moggridge presented the Garden History Society's keynote lecture at the Royal Horticultural Society on Views - Perception and Conservation of Iconic Urban Skylines. Hal gave evidence on behalf of the Royal Parks at the Public Inquiry into the infamous Doon Street proposal (see articles for details) and continues to fight for the application of civilized standards in assessing the impact of tall developments on important city park and river views.

Current threats include the Elizabeth House development (aka "the Three Ugly Sisters") in York Road, Waterloo, which will obtrude into views from the Westminster World Heritage Site, Parliament Square and St James's Park, and the Three Houses Project ("the Breadsticks") at London Bridge. If the photomontages are to be believed, at 250m-high, these will look pretty horrible from nearly everywhere, an outsize three-fingered glove gesturing at London and Londoners. For comparison, SwissRe ("the Gherkin") is 180m high, and has at least the architectural virtue of symmetry.

The financial recession may ensure that some of these schemes won't get built for a while, if ever, but the granting of planning permission sets the marker and creates an inflated site value for the future. It can't make much financial sense at the moment to develop the Jolly Boatman site opposite Hampton Court Palace, where planning permission has now been granted for an over-large and tired-looking neo- Georgian hotel, so the prominent riverside site will very likely continue to be an eyesore for years to come.

At the annual meeting of the Thames Landscape Strategy - Hampton to Kew's at Kew on 11th February, Sir Simon Milton, Deputy Mayor of London for Policy and Planning and adviser to Boris Johnson, gave a generally encouraging speech about the Mayor's attitude to the River Thames, tall buildings and the Strategic View from King Henry's Mound to St Paul's Cathedral; but Boris Johnson's failure to intervene in the cases of Doon Street, the Beetham Tower, and the York Road site does make one wonder whether in practice he will be any more enlightened than his notoriously Philistine predecessor.

Doon Street... and 2012

2008-12-06T10:20:00.000Z

The Doon Street tower and the 2012 Olympics come under the scrutiny of Trust Chairman CHRIS SUMMER

Earth has not anything to show more fair..
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty.

The Doon Street tower

Thus wrote William Wordsworth in 1802 of the view from Westminster Bridge; but truly dull of soul is Secretary of State Hazel Blears, who has ignored her planning inspector's advice and granted planning permission for the construction of a 44-storey tower at Doon Street, behind the National Theatre. Harold Macmillan pulled down the Euston Arch but could at least claim that we had never had it so good, so what is the justification of Blears, the arch-vandal de nos jours for ruining the views from Westminster Bridge and St James's Park, and will she overrule the inspector's advice on the Beetham Tower too, if he rightly concludes that a 170m-high tower at the south end of Blackfriars Bridge is not what London wants or needs?

The credit crunch may yet prove to have a silver lining if these and other horrors projected at Vauxhall and in the City are put on hold. The past decade or so has been a boom time for many gardens, with the creation of opulent new gardens for the mega-rich, the television programme- inspired makeovers of the plots of those of more modest means, and the restoration of many public parks, thanks to generous grants from the National Lottery. We know that Lottery funding will of necessity be less generous in the future, to help pay for the 2012 London Olympics; and the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is now saying that the provisions for 2012 will themselves have to be pared down.

So will the present loss of financial confidence lead to a change in the way we garden? Unemployment figures are approaching two million, many people's incomes are falling, and the rate of inflation and the cost of food have risen. But will we see more productive use made of land? The Royal Parks have shown with their Dig for Victory model allotment in St James's Park how a wide range of vegetables can be produced in a small area. So far as I know (I missed the recent public presentation), the latest proposals for the revamp of St James's Square do not make provision for cabbages and runner beans and an old bath for a water supply as shown in Adrian Allinson's well-known 1942 painting, but will the aftermath of 2012 include once more turning over the park at Greenwich to allotments? Both scenarios seem improbable, but just think of the Olympic manure!

Greenwich Disruption

The Queen's House at Greenwich

Lord Coe, Chairman of LOCOG, has replied to my letter raising the Trust's concerns about the use of Greenwich Park for the equestrian events with an assurance that LOCOG is committed to minimizing disruption in the Park and that it will be returned after the games in the state in which it was received; but details of any promised post-Olympics reinstatement works are in short supply. If it is the done deal that it seems to be, Royal Parks must have a wish-list of projects that they can present alongside the bill for loss of revenue. It would be nice to think that the area below the Wolfe Monument and the interface between the Park and the National Maritime Museum might at last be sorted out properly as part of the 'lasting legacy', about which we hear so much; let us at least hope that London's longest and most inappropriately sited herbaceous border, the one south of the Queen's House, can quietly fail victim to the horses and not be reinstated afterwards. I know that the locals love it, but it shouldn't be there. A formal planning application for the works, which are described as a temporary overlay, will be made to Greenwich Borough Council for consideration in 2009.

Victoria Park Improvements Planned

2008-12-06T10:10:00.000Z

The Burdett-Coutts fountain in Victoria Park is an LBII* listed structure.

Victoria Park was created in the 19th century. Parliament passed an act for the .development of the park in 1841 following an outcry about the lack of parks in the East End and fears that disease would spread from the stinking industries and slum population of 400,000. The government bought poor quality land that had been used for market gardens, grazing and gravel digging. The land was flat, with poor soil and little water but was cheaper than an alternative and larger site nearer the Thames.

When it opened, the park, designed by James Pennethorne, was an instant success, with local people using it as early as 1843, before works were completed. The site was extended in 1872, when land originally set aside for residential development was incorporated into the park. The park has passed through a number of managing organizations since then: from the Metropolitan Board of Works in 1887, to the London County Council in 1889, then the Greater London Council in 1965, then to Tower Hamlets in 1986 (initially with the borough of Hackney through a joint management board), becoming the sole responsibility of Tower Hamlets in 1994.

Many Fine Features

The park has many fine features including superb trees, avenues, lakes and floral displays. A wide range of formal and informal sports, sponsored activities, events and festivals take place throughout the year.

Many of the original features of the park have, however, been lost or have deteriorated. The site was much bombed in WW2 and was not restored. In heritage terms the park is still of national importance, as signified by its inclusion as a Grade II park on the English Heritage register of parks and gardens of special historic interest.

Victoria Park is located within the LB of Tower Hamlets, and is bordered on its northern boundary by the London Borough of Hackney. The 90-acre park serves a large residential population in both boroughs and is the largest park within Tower Hamlets.

Earlier this autumn Victoria Park bagged top spot in the Time Out list of London’s perfect parks. The park was marked out of ten in five categories including getting in, history, park life, fun stuff and landmarks. Victoria Park’s winning score was 41, with its nearest rival, Ravenscourt Park in West London, gaining just 38 points.

Funding Bids

In March 2009 Tower Hamlets will find out whether their multi-million pound funding bid for Victoria Park has been successful.

Submitted at the end of September, the bid seeks £4.9 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The money will be used to make a host of community-supported improvements to the park.

Councillor Abdal Ullah, Lead Member for Cleaner, Safer, Greener at Tower Hamlets Council said: “Victoria Park is a fantastic open space, with a great mix of heritage, sport, play and relaxation. That’s why it was named the best park in the capital by Time Out London.

“We’ve consulted with local people to find out how they’d like to see their park improved, and their feedback has formed the basis of our bid.”

Competing against bids from across London, the proposal which would see an additional café, improved sports pitches, water features, better play areas and much more, has wide spread support from local residents. In a recent consultation 76 per cent of respondents said that they would visit the park more often if the suggested improvements were made.

The funding bid is based on the new Victoria Park Master Plan, which sets out a guide for future developments and improvements to the park. The master plan incorporates the feedback of hundreds of local residents that have taken part in the Victoria Park consultation throughout the year.

This is the first stage of a long bidding process. The council will find out if the initial bid is successful in March 2009. If successful, the bid moves to stage two, where more details plans have to be submitted and discussed.

The council has also been campaigning for a £400,000 grant for the park under the Mayor of London's Help a London Park scheme.

Help a London Park

2008-12-03T15:40:00.000Z

Ten London parks are about to benefit from a major makeover and one of them could be a park near you.

The Mayor of London is giving ten grants of up to £400,000 to London's most needy parks to make them cleaner, safer, greener, and nicer places to visit. Londoners are now invited to vote for which parks win an award.

There are 47 deserving parks for you to choose from. To make it easier they have been divided into five London sub-regions (North West, North, North East, South East and South West). The winners will be the two parks in each of the five London sub-regions, which get the most votes.

Voting ends on 5pm, 30 January 2009, so hurry and vote now to Help a London Park.

Green Corners Awards announced

2008-10-18T19:02:00.005+01:00

London's Green Corners Awards celebrate the Londoners whose out-of-the-way gardens make the capital's a brighter and healthier place and also enrich its biodiversity. The awards are organised by The Conservation Foundation

The 2008 winners were announced at an awards ceremony in Covent Garden on 13th October. The presentation took place in a specially created Green Corner within the world famous gardeners' market normally reserved for customers of a wine bar and opera singers.

Speaking to winners, their guests and the people who nominated them, David Bellamy, president of The Conservation Foundation, praised them for their enthusiasm and creativity, "It is so important for everyone to do their bit for the city's biodiversity and to think of the bees when choosing the plants for your green corners," he said. To reinforce the point, he was wearing a t-shirt swarming with honey bees.

The winning projects received garden centre vouchers and an engraved 'Green Corners' trowel, certificate and copy of The London Gardener. The judging panel included David Bellamy, Susan Hampshire, Gary Marcuccilli, Managing Director Covent Garden London, Alexander Nicoll, CR director of Liberty International, Elspeth Thompson, journalist and author, Pattie Barron of the Evening Standard's Homes & Property, Matthew Appleby of Horticulture Week and The Conservation Foundation's David Shreeve.

The Winners

HMP Wandsworth won two awards and the Admin Garden, which greets everyone as they come through the prison walls, was singled out for a Blooming Fantastic Award. Collecting it on behalf of the prison's gardeners - staff and inmates - David Jones said, "No one coming through the prison walls expects to find a garden in full bloom and it's fantastic to have this recognition - it's very good for morale."

Among other 2008 winners were a number of gardens taking part in this year's Open Garden Squares Weekend. As well as HMP Wandsworth, the following Open Garden Squares Weekend participants won Blooming Fantastic awards:

Camley Street Natural Park

The Phoenix Garden

Bina Gardens East

Gardens receiving 'Well Done' awards included:

Historian Gill Clegg, who nominated Chiswick House Kitchen Garden for an award, said: "As a disabled person, the kitchen garden is my little bit of heaven and one of the most interesting community projects taking place in Chiswick, my locality. I think the garden deserves the award because it fulfils an educational function and engenders community spirit, and because it brings so much joy to those who work in it and those who visit."

To enter the Green Corners Awards, simply nominate a space that cheers your day - the only proviso is that it must be visible to someone other than its owner. Please contact Lindsay Swan on 07961 181982 or David Shreeve on 07831 387745 for more information.

Happy Ending for Ruskin Park Bandstand

2008-10-18T18:55:00.000+01:00

The bandstand in 2006

The Lambeth Wind Orchestra performs on the restored bandstand.

When an article on Ruskin Park appeared in London Landscapes in 2006, the park was in a poor state of repair. The bandstand had suffered the same fate as the rest of the park and was blocked off by metal fencing panels.

But change was afoot. In autumn 2005 the Friends of Ruskin Park had commissioned the Parks Agency to develop a Management plan for the future of the park. Among other things, this led to the restoration of the bandstand.

Ruskin Park joins a growing list of London parks that have had their bandstands restored. Among these are the one on Clapham Common, where the Friends of Clapham Common and the Clapham Society persuaded the owners, Lambeth Council, to participate in a major fundraising and restoration project.

Further information:

Mayor allocates £6 million to revitalise London's parks and green spaces

2008-09-05T15:23:00.004+01:00

In June the Mayor of London announced a £6 million funding package to clean up and improve London’s rundown green spaces, with Londoners getting the final say on which areas will benefit. The money for this programme comes from further savings made from the former administration’s publicity budget following the scrapping of The Londoner newspaper.

How will the money be divided up?

The scheme expects to improve about 10 sites with up to £400 000 funding each. Subject to securing match funding, one or two large parks that are in need of major restoration may be supported, with a larger grant of between £1 and £2 million.

How will sites be selected to receive funding?

See the diagram on the left. Local authorities have been invited to nominate by 15th September up to three sites each to be considered for inclusion on the voting list to secure up to £400,000, and one site that could potentially receive a large grant funding. The final list of candidates will be selected by an Expert Panel. Londoners will then have the chance to vote online for which green spaces will benefit from the funding.

What criteria will the expert panel use?

The expert panel will take into account:

The authority's ability to deliver significant enhancement within two years (or three for the larger grant) which will make a real visible difference on the ground;
Public safety and/or cleanliness/litter management;
The need for a stronger sense of welcome or improvements to accessibility;
The potential for significant landscape improvements which, where appropriate, will include biodiversity enhancements; ·
Size and level of use - preference will be given to sites that have potential to be used by a large number of people.

In addition, the panel will consider whether the site

has been identified as a priority for improvement in Borough Open Space Strategy or similar document; ·
lies in an area of social deprivation, identified as an Area for Regeneration in the London Plan
has been identified as a priority in the London Plan Implementation Report Improving Londoners' access to nature
lies within a regional park opportunity area as identified in the London Plan; ·
has been identified in a sub-regional or other strategy (e.g. East London Green Grid) as a priority for improvement.

The Museum of Garden History starts its dramatic reconstruction

2008-08-14T19:28:00.001+01:00

On Friday 31st July the Museum of Garden history closed its doors to the public and opened them for architects, contractors and designers to begin the construction of a new gallery.

The museum will be closed for three months for the construction of better spaces for visitors to enjoy the building and collection. On 18th November, the museum will re-open as The Garden Museum, a new space to explore and celebrate British gardening and gardens through the collection, temporary exhibitions, events, symposia and garden.

The new interior of the Museum, designed by Dow Jones Architects, will include a gallery for temporary exhibitions and a new space for education. The Director, Christopher Woodward, explained the outreach of the project::

"We're shut for three months, during which time we're going to build new galleries inside this historic church, begun in 1384. It's a beautiful, bright space but it doesn't have spaces in which we can display works on paper, work with schools - or mount exhibitions. Last year we held a competition, which was won by Dow Jones, who have just been short-listed as RIBA Architect of the Year. Their design will be prefabricated in Switzerland and be delivered in three huge trucks. It's freestanding, and won't touch the old stone walls. It's a ground-breaking use of new building technology. In effect, we're fitting a modern museum inside an historic church, and it's amazing that we can do that in three months. At the same time we're building Britain's first venue dedicated to a programme of exhibitions about gardens and garden design."

The new gallery will open with the first-ever retrospective of Beth Chatto, one of the most influential living gardeners in Britain. The exhibition will examine the subtlety of her approach to design and explore important influences to her particular kind of gardening.

The new spaces on the Garden Museum will allow old and new treasures from the permanent collection to be displayed for the first time.

During the closure period the garden will remain open daily from 9.30 to 5.30. The Garden Café will open Monday to Friday from 10.30 to 4.45.

For further information, please see www.museumgardenhistory.org

New Lease of Life for Dollis Hill House

2008-08-03T21:05:00.004+01:00

Hazelle Jackson writes:

In North London the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has given a Stage 1 pass award for a grant of £1.2million for the important London landmark, Dollis Hill House in the London Borough of Brent, to help save it from demolition and return the Regency manor to the community.

Dollis Hill House

Dollis Hill House was originally built in 1825 on top of a hill in what is now Gladstone Park. It was Prime Minister William Gladstone's former residence and Mark Twain's favoured retreat in the 19th century. The Regency villa, still largely intact, is surrounded by what the famous American writer Mark Twain described as "noble trees" with panoramic vistas over London.

Enjoying stunning and uninterrupted views as far as St Paul's Cathedral and Wembley Stadium, the mansion was an important part of community life between the wars. Until 1974 it was used as a tea room and restaurant and then as a catering college. Sadly, it has lain empty and disused since closure in 1989, and has even been the victim of several arson attacks in recent years.

The HLF funds will enable Training for Life, the award-winning social enterprise charity, to work closely with the Dollis Hill House Trust and Brent Council to develop plans to save the building and return it to its former glory.

The Grade II listed house can now look forward to being faithfully restored and extended, removed from the English Heritage 'at risk' register, and returned to its former use as a tearoom and restaurant.

'Absolutely Thrilled'

Gill Close, Chair of the Dollis Hill House Trust, said: "After local people have worked for almost 20 years to save Dollis Hill House, we are absolutely thrilled that our partnership with Training For Life is finally going to bring the house back to being the vibrant heart of Gladstone Park and the local community for all to enjoy."

Commenting on the award Cllr Paul Lorber, Leader of Brent Council said: "The council is delighted on behalf of Training for Life that their bid has found favour with the Heritage Lottery Fund. This brings them a step closer to restoring Dollis Hill House for local people."

The restoration of Dollis Hill House will see this area of London fully regenerated following a recent £722,000 HLF grant for the restoration of Gladstone Park in 2002. The Dollis Hill House Trust was set up by members of the local community to restore the house for the benefit of the community.

For further info see the websites

Greenwich Olympic 'Circus'

2008-08-03T20:58:00.001+01:00

Chris Sumner writes:

Also encouraging is the Mayor's intention to review the 2012 Olympics proposals, the prospective costs of which are continually mounting. One of the first things that he and his advisers may like to review is the preposterous proposal to use Greenwich Park as the venue for the equestrian events.

Greenwich Park is small by Royal Parks standards, and acts much more than any of the other Royal Parks as a recreation ground for local people as well as being a draw for tourists and the setting for an unequalled assemblage of historic buildings.

It is clear that the only reason for the enthusiasm of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games for using Greenwich Park is that the palaces built by Inigo Jones, Wren, Hawksmoor, et al. would provide great photo opportunities. So, while the horses are trampling the archaeology and the crowds and the Portaloos and the international television crew vans are compacting the tree roots, the world can be treated to a few hours of Palladian and Baroque backdrop, no doubt accompanied by Vivaldi, or will it be Purcell for local colour? How pathetic! Where are the local children and families and dogs and joggers going to play and run and picnic for the fifteen months that much of the park will be out of commission? Has LOCOG seen how busy the park gets, especially at weekends?

The Queen's House and Greenwich Palace:
the backdrop to the Olympic equestrian events

Is it any consolation that the present government will no longer be the hosts by 2012? Not really, given the apparent alternative, but the likelihood of the current lot's being out on their ear sooner or later may encourage the agencies tasked with advising the government to take a longer-term view, and to express their reservations rather less equivocally than to date.

Le Notre failed to grasp the nature of Greenwich Park, but he had the excuse of never having visited it and seen its steep asymmetry. He knew nothing about its unstable geology, and would not have cared about the archaeology or the concerns of the local people. LOCOG has no such excuses, and must be shown that Greenwich Park is much too important to be sacrificed for the Olympic five-ring circus.

Green Flag winners announced for 2008

2008-07-29T19:26:00.003+01:00

A record 743 green spaces across the country, all freely accessible to the public, have received a Green Flag Award - the national standard for quality parks and green spaces. Winners are judged to be welcoming and well maintained with the support and involvement of the local community.

There are 151 winners in Greater London, including the following Open Garden Squares Weekend participants:

For the complete list, please see http://www.greenflagaward.org.uk/winners/greater-london/

The scheme is currently expanding nationally and internationally - three parks in Northern Ireland, one park in the Republic of Ireland, five parks in Scotland and two parks in Holland have this year also received a Green Flag Award due to ambitious pilot projects.

This year’s winners were announced from Green Flag Award-winning Bellingham Green, in an area of Lewisham highlighted by government as a transformed area of regeneration, demonstrating how residents working together with public agencies can transform deprived neighbourhoods. The Green is vibrant, lively and has significantly improved the livelihood and well-being of the local community.

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Baroness Andrews said:

“I would like to congratulate all those whose hard work has resulted in this year’s green flag winners. In our busy modern lives, parks and green spaces are invaluable as areas where young and old can come together to relax, exercise and play.

“Bellingham Green is a great example of this and shows just how important green spaces can be for everyone in the community. The regeneration of green spaces is just as important as the creation of new ones and Bellingham Green is a shining example of how we can take up this challenge and transform no-go areas into centre-points of the community.”

Discover London's Secret Open Spaces

2008-05-03T22:01:00.002+01:00

Visitors will have a rare opportunity to peer behind the walls of many of London's private community gardens and squares over the weekend of 7 and 8 June during Transport for London Open Garden Squares Weekend. Over 170 venues will take part, offering a range of horticultural delights and curiosities including formal set-pieces, typical English flower gardens and the prison gardens at Holloway, Wandsworth and Wormwood Scrubs.

Organised by the London Parks & Gardens Trust, the event aims to celebrate London's open spaces and highlight the important contribution they make to the life of the capital. Transport for London is supporting the event and encouraging people to make the most of their visit with the help of the walking journey planner www.tfl.gov.uk/walkingjourneyplanner .

Gardens taking part in the annual event for the first time range from former stately homes to private courtyards. Highlights include:

13 acres of lawn and gardens still reflecting the 18th-century landscape design at Fulham Palace, the home of the Bishops of London until 1973
the walled gardens at Charlton House, one of the finest surviving Jacobean manor houses in England
Hothouse Loddiges Garden - dedicated to the Loddiges family, who managed one of the most notable 18th and 19th century plant nurseries, with planting based on illustrations from the 18th century periodical The Botanical Cabinet by Conrad Loddiges
Conisbee Courtyard - featuring a vertically planted wall, an experimental rubble roof and central water feature. Designed by Landscape Architect / Garden Designer Marie Clarke
Maggie's Centre - which will open in April 2008 and offer support to those affected by cancer. The building has been designed by Lord Rogers and the garden by celebrated garden designer Dan Pearson
The sunken gardens in Malet Street, which offer a haven of peace in the bustling Bloomsbury area
Waterlow Court - designed in 1904 by the architect H.M. Baillie Scott as part of the development of what are now Grade-II* listed Edwardian cloistered flats originally commissioned by the Industrial Model Dwellings Company as a communal residence for professional single women
The formal garden and Old Varieties Orchard at Heathfield in Croydon

Old favourites such as Edwardes Square, the hidden gardens of Notting Hill, Garden Barge Square and the artistic Bonnington Square will once again participate in the 2008 Open Gardens Squares Weekend.

Date:

Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 June 2008

Venues:

Over 170 gardens and squares in London

Tickets:

£6.00 advance - one ticket allows entry to all venues over entire Weekend.
Advance ticket hotline 020 8347 3230 (Mon to Fri 9am to 6pm) and on-line booking provided by Capital Gardens (www.capitalgardens.co.uk) until Monday 2nd June.
£7.50 on the weekend from the Britain and London Visitor Centre, 1 Regent Street, SW1Y 4XT, and selected gardens.

Information:

www.opensquares.org

Additional Information

Full details about all the participating gardens and squares are included in the guide which is given free with tickets. Information can also be found at www.opensquares.org along with the latest on special events.
Open Garden Squares Weekend is run by the London Parks & Gardens Trust to raise awareness of the significant social, cultural, environmental and economic contribution that squares make to the capital and its inhabitants. The Trust provides a centre for education, research, and creative projects for the improvement and conservation of London's green urban spaces. www.londongardenstrust.org
In 2008 Open Garden Squares Weekend celebrates its 10th Anniversary. Originally London Garden Square Day, it was initiated in 1998 by a local resident who imagined a day 'when all the gardens could be open to the public when local communities could celebrate the day with fêtes and fairs'. 40 private garden squares participated in the first year.
The London garden square is one of the capital's most popular and valuable features, with a rich history stretching back to 1631 when the Covent Garden Piazza was completed. By the late 18th century the square design had been perfected, with Bedford Square, WC2, a shining example. For further information, please see www.londongardenstrust.org/history/squares.htm
In addition to private and limited access gardens and squares, a selection of public gardens will participate in the event.

Kew and British Museum combine to cultivate China in the heart of London

2008-05-03T21:47:00.009+01:00

In a unique partnership, the British Museum and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew have conjured up a stunning China landscape in the forecourt of the British Museum this summer. The landscape celebrates the two institutions' shared vision to strengthen cultural understanding and support biodiversity conservation across the world. The experts at Kew have selected and provided the plants and design, the British Museum has provided curatorial expertise and the location. The landscape follows on from the successful Africa Garden created in 2005, and future collaborative projects are planned.

Inspired by the collections of both Kew and the British Museum, the landscape reveals some of the connections between China’s natural habitat and its culture. Trees, shrubs and flowers are both cultural symbols and resources, used for building materials, food, drink, clothing and medicine. The landscape is a celebration of natural beauty and the bounty it provides. Visitors are able to wander around the fragrant trails of wisteria (Wisteria sinensis), admire the beautiful White Mulberry (Morus alba) and historic handkerchief tree (Davidia involucrata), whilst also absorbing a strong conservation and sustainability message.

Most of the plants selected by the experts at Kew are native to the mountains of Sichuan province in south-west China and have been chosen for both their natural beauty and for the active role they play in China’s cultural identity. The landscape features an example of a maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba), the only surviving member of the ancient group of plants which was widespread at the same time as the dinosaurs, 180-200 million years ago. They have only been saved from extinction through cultivation and today provide a range of medicinal benefits; they are used for treating chronic coughs and asthma and leaf extracts are used to treat circulatory problems and memory loss.

Conservation is a strong theme in the landscape. The handkerchief tree (Davidia involucrata) is beautiful but also vulnerable in the wild; in 1899, an amateur British botanist in China alerted Kew to the alarming impact that the charcoal industry was having on the forests of Yunnan province, home of the handkerchief tree. Although now widespread in cultivation as an ornamental, thanks to botanists and horticulturalists worldwide, the handkerchief tree (Davidia involucrata) continues to be classified as a rare tree in the wild.

Visitors are also able to learn about the economic properties of plants in this beautiful landscape. Bamboo (notably Phyllostachys aurea and P. nigra) is one of the fastest-growing plants on earth and treated bamboo is strong and lightweight. In China it is used to make everything from chopsticks, hats and musical instruments to houses, bridges and scaffolding. Its fibres are used for paper, fabric and medicine. The young shoots are edible, the sap is made into sweet wine and the leaves are used as food wrappers. Bamboo features in Chinese culture as a symbol of integrity and outstanding character, it bends in the wind but never breaks. A lacquer tree (Rhus verniciflua) is also on display. These are cultivated for their sap, which is used to make a durable coating called lacquer. Lacquer can be polished to a high gloss, and the sap can be coloured by adding the mineral cinnabar or carbon black to make red and black. The seeds and leaves are used in Chinese medicine to treat internal parasites and to stop bleeding

China is famous for its classical scholar’s gardens – picturesque places suited for social gatherings and silent contemplation. This tradition is reflected in the landscape by the inclusion of a trellis, a scholar’s rock that symbolically evokes the power of a mountain, and a rock inscribed with calligraphy - because no Chinese landscape is complete without a touch of poetry. The landscape also directs visitors to the Museum’s Chinese collections, where it is possible to see some of the plants used to make objects (lacquer and bamboo) or to see them as art motifs (chrysanthemums, willow trees and peonies) depicted on a range of ceramic objects. A huge contemporary rock sculpture by the artist Zhan Wang, on display in the Great Court, complements the garden alongside the temporary exhibition ‘Fascination with Nature’ in room 91, featuring wonderful examples of Chinese nature paintings.

After the closure of the landscape on 26th October, Camden Council will relocate many of the plants to Brunswick Square and Kew Gardens as a lasting legacy of the China Landscape. The Landscape is in association with China Now.

Surrey joins Europe to host conference

2008-02-08T18:31:00.000Z

The European Gardens Heritage Network is holding a one-day conference at the Royal Horticultural Society site at Wisley, Surrey, on Friday 14th March. Chaired by LPGT secretary Mike Dawson, the conference will cover:

Sustainability: economic; social; environmental
Gardens as destinations and gateways

The conference will:

Showcase examples of good practice across the European regions
Identify practice that could be applied to other places
Explore how issues could be addressed (eg through funding bids, European networks etc)
Promote parks and gardens as resources for the community

In the afternoon, six workshops will allow delegates to discuss topics covered by speakers in plenary sessions. There will also be an opportunity to tour the RHS site.

The following organizations are hosting the conference:

European Gardens Heritage Network
Surrey County Council
Royal Horticultural Society
Surrey Gardens Trust

The European Garden Heritage Network (EGHN) is a project involving partners from Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands and the UK. It is seeking to promote the social, cultural, economic and environmental contribution parks and gardens make to the regions of North West Europe.

EGHN is seeking particular recognition for the contribution gardens make to the “soft infrastructure”, which is increasingly credited with attracting inward-investment (for example through business relocation or tourism). The Network wants this recognition to be reflected in the prominence parks and gardens are given in local, regional and transnational plans and spatial strategies.

At the same time, the Network wants to redress the perception that gardens are only for an elite audience and promote and develop their value as resources for the whole community.

Further information:

Bucket & Spade Work in Fulham

2008-02-07T12:20:00.001Z

Local residents have persuaded Hammersmith & Fuilham to re-create a Victorian beach in Bishop's Park. Parks development manager Rob Kelly said: "This idea came from the park's supporters, and it's proof that, by asking people what they'd like, it can work out in the real world. "We've unearthed photos that show what looks like a real bit of seaside beach which was nicknamed 'Fulharn's Margate Beach' - as a bit of a joke, I suppose. It was 100 years ago, and it existed in the long stretch of parkland beside Fulharn Palace Road." "The idea is to use remains of the old layout to re-create that scene. With all the right safety features, this will be a unique project," said Mr Kelly. Amanda Lloyd-Harris, the chair of Bishop's Park Residents' Association is growing impatient, however. She said residents were tired of waiting for the long-delayed funding to come through from the council. "Perhaps at last, after so many consultations, we are getting to crunch time," she said. "We've got to have action now and no more words." ClIr Paul Bristow , the cabinet member for residents' services, endorsed the practice of involving local people in plans for improving the parks. He said there were some costly projects in the pipeline where getting local ideas was vital. "Just for a start, there will be £3.3 million to spend on new avenues and tree-lined spaces for Shepherd's Bush Green," he said. "We're getting as many ideas in from the community as they can generate. I believe this way we get the parks that people really want." Another part of the "democratic parklands" scheme is to make the borough's parks less feared. "People become intimidated by street drinkers and youths hanging about," said ClIr Bristow. "We're all keen that people aren't frightened to go in areas that should be for relaxation." As a result, the friends group in Margravine Cemetery in Hammersmith has started an action plan, moving railings, restoring stonework and opening up old pathways. Mr Kelly added: "There are more and more of these schemes. It's a whole heap better than blokes in grey suits sitting in offices and trying to have good ideas."

Cereal Drama in St John's Wood

2008-02-02T08:41:00.000Z

A park in St John's Wood is undergoing a dramatic change, with the sowing of winter wheat and barley. As part of Westminster Council's move to brighten up its parks and open spaces, parks manager John Tweddle has looked back at his days managing farmland in East Anglia. "After they tempted me away from managing 1,000 acres, I kept the image of lovely, rolling fields rippling with their crops," said Mr Tweddle. "Daft though it sounds, one of Westminster's managers from the north of the borough has picked up on my memories and he's going to surprise everyone." The manager in question is Barry Haynes, manager of St John's Church Park in Wellington Place. "It's wonderful to be asked to come up with new ideas," said Mr Haynes. "The world of plants can offer far more than the catalogues tell you. I thought we could try some actual farming crops to remind townspeople there is another world far out of town. "Winter wheat and barley - just like the crops in East Anglian farmlands - are my bright idea, and I'm planting the seeds shortly. When the wheat and the barley have sprouted and grown and are waving in the wind, they should look very fine. A slice of old country ways you could say."

Vibrator to be used in Westminster's Parks

2008-01-31T11:32:00.000Z

Westminster's parks are due for a shake-up with the use of special equipment to break up heavily compacted areas of its parks. The council is awaiting delivery of a new anti-compaction machine that sends a shaking movement to the roots of plants.

Users of parks such as Victoria Embankment Gardens (pictured here) should see a greener landscape when the vibrating machine starts work. It will send slivers of steel underground, shake them at about 3,000 revs per minute and allow roots to breathe and flourish. Westminster's parks are due for a further shake-up with the appointment of more park-keepers. One of their duties will be to explain to park users why some of their favourite plants occasionally need to be replaced.

Have your say on Shepherds Bush Common facelift

2008-01-31T11:21:00.000Z

£3.3 million worth of improvements to Shepherds Bush Common moved a step closer when Hammersmith and Fulham Council started a public consultation on the plans. Visit the consultation website. Cllr Paul Bristow, H&F Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, said, “We believe these exciting proposals will transform the common and ensure that it remains as one of our great open spaces.” The plans include a multi-use games area, extensive children’s play facilities, a skateboard area and a café with new toilets. The design creates a boulevard effect on the outside of the common, including a new cycle path. Cllr Bristow continues, “As residents will see for themselves we are not seeking to radically alter the overall feel of the park. One of the great advantages of this design is that the common retains its big, open feel.” Under the proposal, the common would be divided by paths into three main grassed sections, with slightly raised areas and a section that can be used for entertainment. The historic war memorial will remain in its current location. H&F Council has been consulting on the proposals with a stakeholder group, consisting of local residents from Addison ward and Shepherd’s Bush Green, amenity groups and businesses. After a public exhibition the landscape designers will work up the designs in more detail for a further exhibition in March before any planning application is submitted. The aim is to start construction sometime in 2009. Cllr Bristow concludes, “The new games area and play facilities will boost the appeal of the common to families. I would like to encourage anyone with an interest in the future of Shepherds Bush Common to have a look at the proposals themselves and let us know what they think before a formal planning application is submitted later this year.”

Are you interested in research on historic gardens and open spaces?

2008-01-29T20:08:00.000Z

The London Parks & Gardens Trust is looking for volunteers to expand the information in its Inventory of Historic Green Spaces. The Trust needs more volunteers to help with research on the sites included on its Inventory of Historic Green Spaces, which covers the whole Greater London area. Volunteers undertake historic research using various sources, and make site visits to record what can be seen on the ground. No previous experience of research is required, although some knowledge of garden history is useful. Training is offered in all aspects of the work: the use of libraries, the most appropriate books, maps and archives to consult, and how to record what is on the ground. There are visits to local history libraries, national libraries and record offices, talks from experienced historians and discussions of research in progress. Assistance and advice is available from the co-ordinator. Find out more.

SW3 goes bananas

2008-01-19T21:08:00.000Z

Founded in 1673, the Chelsea Physic Garden has been growing exotic plants for 330 years and its gardeners experiencing the strange, the abnormal and the eccentric in this horticultural oasis in the centre of London. Latest in a long line of unusual occurrences is the New Year flowering and fruiting of the hardy Japanese banana plant, Musa basjoo, which was originally planted in the Garden in 1995. Head Gardener, Mark Poswillo, said that, while the hardy banana had become popular as a garden plant, it was still extraordinary to see both the flowers and fruit on the same plant at the same time in January. Visitors to the garden will get the chance to see the banana when the Garden opens its doors on the first two weekends of February for its annual Snowdrop Days event. Garden's web site (in new window)