VICTORIAN WALLED GARDEN PROJECT

We have restored much of the original fabric and created a working example of a Victorian walled garden.

There is now a full-time Instructor Gardener to maintain and develop the garden, with the aim of achieving sustainability and providing work experience for disadvantaged young people.

Plants for sale in the walled garden today.

Look below for something of the history of our restoration project.

Harry Dodson, star of the BBC Victorian Garden series, visits Rowdeford Victorian Walled Garden restoration project.
Harry Dodson of Chilton Gardens near Hungerford visited the garden in 2003 and met Mike Bowden, Chairman of Rowdeford Charity Trust, and Viscount Sidmouth, who were both heavily involved in the restoration work.

Harry said "When I walked through the gate into the garden, I could imagine how it was in days gone by. It gives me so much joy to see the work being done on the greenhouse and vine house. This will encourage the young to become quickly interested in the work of a walled garden".

He described the kinds of vegetables and fruits that would have been grown in the garden, depending upon the tastes of the family, and reminisced about how hot houses would also provide cut flowers and pot plants for the house.

At Rowdeford there were once carnation and orchid houses.

The net result has been the establishment of a superb 'outdoor classroom'.

The period greenhouse has been transformed from this . . .  
. . . to this

and the garden itself has changed from this . . .  
. . . to this

The garden was officially opened on 22nd July 2003 by the then Patron of the charity, Susan Osman,

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS:
Restoration of greenhouse £15,807
Restoration of forcing beds £  4,837
Restoration of cold frames £ 1,982
Repairs to archway and construction of ramp for
wheelchair access		 £ 2,187
Refurbishment of pathway £ 1,150
 

Lawnmower for walled orchard

(see below)

£    750
  Victorian edging for beds and gravel for paths £ 4,200
  More edging and gravel - work to be done by young offenders as 'community service' £ 2,000
 

Instructor Gardener's salary

(guaranteed until April 2008)

£51,097

(as at the end of 2006)

FUNDS URGENTLY REQUIRED FOR:
Restoration of Potting Shed for storage of tools and equipment £ 3,725
Restoration of Maintenance Shed for storage of machinery and materials £ 3,850

IN ADDITION, WE HAVE A SHORTFALL IN THE INSTRUCTOR GARDENER'S
SALARY OF £17,500 FOR THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR

WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT ROWDEFORD GARDEN FAIR

(PLUS THE SALE OF PERENNIALS AND VEGETABLES FROM THE GARDEN)

WILL BE PROVIDING THAT SALARY WITHIN TWO YEARS


The Victorian Walled Garden project already provides an 'outdoor classroom' and it is our aim to run courses to give work experience to young people, especially those with disabilities and special needs, from Wiltshire and the adjoining counties.   These courses started in 2006.

In order that lawn care can be included in such courses, the area of grass within the walled orchard is now maintained by the Instructor Gardener and we supplied the lawnmower with grass box and roller.