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Project update

The work to redevelop our Gardens is continuing well, and entering the final stages.

Bandstand Terrace

Work on the Bandstand Terrace is nearly complete. The new Pavilion building is finished and now just needs furnishing. This will be a fantastic area for school groups and events, as it has its own kitchen, toilets, cloakroom and projector. Floor to ceiling windows make the space very bright. These windows fold back at the front, giving easy access onto a large terrace overlooking the London skyline.

Behind the new Pavilion building is our redesigned animal enclosure. There is now a central path through the enclosure and lovely wooden huts have been installed. However, there is still work to be done to make these areas safe and comfortable for the new animals so we won’t be seeing any occupants until later in the year. 

On the bandstand itself, the old screens have come down and new wooden screens have been installed, with large glass panels so that audiences to concerts and performances can enjoy the dramatic views of London beyond. The bandstand also has a new oak floor and the weather vane has been reinstalled.

At the Pavilion end of the terrace, we have lovely new picnic benches and plane trees, which, when in leaf, will provide a fantastic 'avenue' of shade. A new addition to the bandstand terrace is our Sound Garden. We have installed five sculptural musical instruments which we hope both adults and children will enjoy. These instruments, the plane trees, picnic benches and more are all available to donate.    
 

Sunken Garden and Display Gardens

 
Elsewhere in the Gardens, new pathways have been laid down. Our Display Garden has been laid out and you can now see the new hedge and oak gates which will held to give this discrete area its own character.
 
Here the focus of the planting will be on food and tastes from around the world. The outer border will feature tubers, roots and bulbs, such as potatoes and carrots, as well as fruiting crops like cucumbers, courgettes and tomatoes. The inner borders will also have fruits such as apples, bananas and grapes.
 
Already planted at the top of the Display Garden are six striking olive trees, which are one hundred years old and have come all the way from Spain.
 
Alongside these we have reinstated our popular Medicine Garden.
 
We have made the Sunken Garden much more accessible and visitors with wheelchairs or buggies will now be able to get up close to this area. Steps have been removed and replaced with ramps, and flatter, less uneven, sandstone paths have been laid. In the centre of the Garden, to add to its tranquil nature, a new water feature is being installed. 
 
The focus of the planting in the Sunken Garden is on dyes so we will have plants such as the Indigo plant. In the semi-circular beds by the Pergola, the planting scheme will focus on materials and fibres.
 
These displays will feature a wide variety of plants from around the world which have practical applications in industry, in the home and everyday use. However, we will also have more traditional plants to ensure the area satisfies visitors who just want to enjoy the plants!
 

Your Gift Can Make the Difference!

Fundraising for the Gardens’ project is making good progress. Thanks to the support of the National Lottery, through the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund, and other generous supporters, we have raised much of the £2.3 million we need. However, there is still some way to go.

As we enter the final phase of our campaign, we have launched a public appeal to help raise £50,000 towards this final target. This is the time when your own contribution can make all the difference. All donations made on-line go to our Gardens Appeal, helping get us closer to our target. For more ways you can help, go to our ‘Help the Gardens’ page.


Please Bear with Us

We apologise for any disruption and disappointment our Gardens redevelopment causes your visit. Please bear with us. Now the major works have finished, we are entering a period of planting, landscaping and allowing the Gardens to mature. The project is still on track to complete in the spring.

For up-to-date information on closures and disruption, visit the Gardens section of the Horniman website.